St. Louis-area frontline workers rejoice as vaccines distributed across region
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ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOV) — The effort to get frontline workers vaccinated ramped up Thursday across the St. Louis region.
Area hospitals saw a lot of clapping and cheering as hundreds of health care workers who have direct contact with COVID-19 patients felt a sense of relief and renewed hope that this is the turning point in what’s been a nine-month fight against the coronavirus.
Thursday morning, health care workers at BJC over the age of 50 who work directly with COVID patients were first in line.
BJC will distribute nearly 10,000 vaccines to eight of its health care locations over the next week or so, meaning they will administer about 1,100 doses of the vaccine every day.
“I felt relief mostly,” said Dr. Andrew White, a pediatrician at BJC. “I felt a twinge of happiness starting to arise that I might be able to play basketball again soon. I felt relief as well.”
At SSM Health DePaul Hospital, the day started in prayer before the shots were given out.
“I’m ecstatic. You’re watching it on the TV, you’re wondering if it is going to come to your hospital and it did,” said Laura Dickinson, an ER nurse at SSM DePaul.
SSM Health has vaccination clinics at six of its hospitals for employees.
1,000 frontline workers got the vaccine Thursday.
The healthcare system is expected to receive nearly 10,000 doses early next week.
A St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, Illinois their first round of vaccinations went to the emergency room and ICU staff.
The Pfizer vaccine is a two-shot process. People vaccinated Thursday are scheduled to come back for their second shot in about three weeks.
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