COVID-19 In Pennsylvania: Pharmacists Play Important Role In Distributing Vaccine To Long-Term Care Facilities
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Hundreds of pharmacy interns and pharmacists are spread throughout our area administering the Pfizer vaccine.
"It's really like a party; we are celebrating that one step closer to getting back to normal," said Bradley Toman.
Toman is a pharmacist with CVS helping to organize the vaccine roll out in nursing homes in Pittsburgh.
"Right now, we are working on the skilled facility section of long-term care homes. Once we move through that, we will work on round two and start in the assisted living facilities," Toman said.
The goal is to start each day at 9 a.m. and get the whole facility vaccinated by the end of the day. A process that will take weeks if not months to complete in Pennsylvania.
"What often works best is getting the staff vaccinated while we are setting up to get the patients done. The patients, we are going room to room with proper PPE, which can sometimes take longer," Toman said.
Monday is just Day One.
"What we have been told is vaccinations will happen Jan. 4, 5, and 6 those are tentative dates," Jodi Gill said.
Gill's father recovered from COVID-19 and is in Brighton Rehab in Beaver County. She said she is hopeful to give consent for the vaccine in the coming days.
"I'm hoping that will get us one step closer to getting to see each other in person and not on Facetime or through a door. Jan. 11 will be 10 months since I've been able to hug him," Gill said.
CVS told KDKA the plan is to visit each of these homes three times with the initial dose and then three weeks later a second dose. The final visit will be a check in and to vaccinate anyone they may have missed.
ManorCare in Whitehall and ManorCare-Pittsburgh got the vaccine on Monday. The patients at the ManorCare in the North Hills will receive the vaccine in January.