Advocate Aurora Health Preparing to Vaccinate Staff Next Week
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine being reviewed for emergency use today.
Advocate Aurora Health is preparing to vaccinate its employees most at risk of contracting COVID-19 next week and health system leaders say people who want the vaccine could have it by June.
A coronavirus vaccine produced by Pfizer/BioNTech is being reviewed for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Thursday.
On Wednesday 3,055 people in the United States died from complications of COVID-19, making it one of the deadliest days in American history. A total of 289,531 people have died from the virus, according to the New York Times.
“Without a vaccine, we would expect another two to three years of this pandemic, and the cost would be hundreds of thousands of lives and continued economic despair,” Citronberg said. “We have a ticket out, and it is going to be so important for everyone in the community who needs a vaccination to get vaccinated.”
Advocate Aurora’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gary Stuck cautioned that even after the vaccine, people still need to wear a mask until a herd immunity is achieved. The vaccine prevents sickness, but does not prevent acquisition of the virus, so people could still pass coronavirus to other people, Stuck said.
Advocate Aurora has 16 hospitals in Wisconsin and locations in Illinois. It is the largest health care provider in Eastern Wisconsin. Executives with the Milwaukee-based system spoke to media via Zoom on Thursday.
System leaders said they are working with health departments in Wisconsin and Illinois to determine how many vaccines they will receive. The plan is to vaccinate health care providers who work in the emergency departments, intensive care units and COVID-19 units first.
“Immunization is an urgency, not an emergency,” Citronberg said.
Advocate Aurora is not mandating employees be vaccinated at this time, but anticipates the majority of employees will opt for vaccination.
The number of COVID-19 cases have been trending downward. But Stuck warned the numbers are likely to spike again with people getting sick following Thanksgiving.
In Wisconsin, Advocate Aurora has 385 COVID-19 patients; 118 of them are in Milwaukee at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, Stuck said.
“Just like Thanksgiving, we are asking people not to gather for the holidays,” Stuck said. “We are concerned about the next few days and weeks, especially around Christmas, Kwanza and New Years, and we are imploring the public to celebrate virtually. We know it is the only way to stem this tide.”
Advocate Aurora Health Preparing To Vaccinate Staff Against COVID-19 Next Week was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- MKE County: COVID-19 Cases Rising Again - Graham Kilmer - May 20th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - May 20th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Mask Advisory - City of Milwaukee Health Department - May 20th, 2022
- State’s COVID-19 Cases Up 66% in May - Erik Gunn - May 17th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update - City of Milwaukee Health Department - May 13th, 2022
- DHS Announces the Moving Forward Together Grant Program to Support Health Equity Efforts in COVID-19 Vaccinations - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - May 12th, 2022
- City of Milwaukee Weekly COVID-19 Update - City of Milwaukee Health Department - May 6th, 2022
- COVID-19 Antibody Study Seeks Volunteers of Color - Matt Martinez - May 5th, 2022
- Are COVID-19 Vaccines Still Free? Yes - Matt Martinez - May 4th, 2022
- Johnson Says COVID Vaccines May Cause AIDS - Henry Redman - May 4th, 2022
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here