Jackson Memorial Hospital Among The First To Get Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine

Two South Florida hospitals will be among the first recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine provided by Pfizer, according to Local 10. Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and Memorial Health Care System in Hollywood confirmed they will be getting vaccines as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Reporters said the first batch of vaccines is expected to arrive mid-December in limited supply. The drugmaker made headlines last week, reporting that their vaccine prevents 90 percent of coronavirus infections. It will be available to frontline healthcare workers, staff and residents at long-term care facilities, and first responders.

“We completed the proper registration to be eligible for participation in the Florida Shots Program. We expect to receive a limited supply of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in mid-December and are prepared with the proper storage to begin immediate distribution,” Jackson spokesperson Lidia Amoretti said in an email to Local 10. “We have purchased equipment, such as ultra-cold freezers, to ensure we have capacity to safely store the vaccine.

Memorial Healthcare Spokesperson Kerting Baldwin told Local 10 via email that “The initial data and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines are encouraging, yet they are not the whole story. Equally as important as the vaccine is the practice of following safety guidelines: wearing a mask, practicing physical distance and washing hands often. According to the Florida Department of Health, Memorial is one of five healthcare systems throughout the state that will receive the vaccines in the coming weeks.”

Moderna has also released the results of their COVID-19 vaccine, announcing their version is nearly 95 percent effective.

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