Vaccination for High-Risk Hospital Workers Begins
SARNIA & PETROLIA – February 23, 2021 – Today, Bluewater Health opens its COVID Vaccination Clinic for its high-risk, frontline hospital healthcare workers. The Bluewater Health clinic will administer the Pfizer vaccine to hospital staff and physicians following the sequential, phased rollout as per the province’s direction (COVID-19: Guidance for Prioritizing Health Care Workers for COVID-19 Vaccination).
With over 2,000 team members (staff, physicians, midwives, specialists etc.), the vaccination clinics are expected to run over four to five days until the first vaccine supply is depleted. Additional vaccines are anticipated to continue the priority vaccinations. Non-patient facing employees are not scheduled to receive vaccines at this time.
The first employee to receive the vaccine (see photo) is Fred Osmon, age 63, a frontline Emergency Department nurse, working at both Bluewater Health locations (Sarnia and Petrolia) during the pandemic. After hearing he would be the first recipient, he said, “I’m honoured to have this opportunity. It’s a start to keeping my family, my colleagues, and my community safe.” He continued, “The pandemic has been a significant strain on all healthcare workers, and I know that we are excited to see the vaccines rolling out here. There is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Sarnia-Lambton was one of the last communities to receive the vaccines, and all available appointments were booked within 48 hours. As the Province of Ontario provides further updates on expected vaccine shipments, Bluewater Health will provide information on local healthcare vaccinations administered.
At this time, the new clinic will be targeted for highest-risk healthcare workers, and any future updates about immunizations for the general public will be made available via Lambton Public Health’s website: GetTheVaccine.ca.
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Bluewater Health, with locations in Sarnia and Petrolia, cares for the residents of Sarnia-Lambton. With close to 2,500 staff, Professional Staff and volunteers, Bluewater Health provides an array of specialized acute, complex continuing care, allied health and ambulatory care services. Bluewater Health’s Mission is: We create exemplary healthcare experiences with patients and families every time. For more information about Bluewater Health, visit www.bluewaterhealth.ca or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.