INDIANAPOLIS — Vaccine rollout across central Indiana are underway and while many on the frontline agree, there is light at the end of this dark tunnel, the community still needs to do their part.
Wednesday morning brought an early Christmas present to IU Health Methodist Hospital in the form of 4,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses.
WRTV asked Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Chris Weaver: “Did you think we’d be at this point where you have two vaccines now to rollout across your hospitals?"
“No, not at all, Weaver said. "Not this fast. I will say that it’s been really impressive how fast, across the world.”
Weaver said vaccinations are ongoing at a “rapid pace.” As of Tuesday night, nearly 6,000 frontline workers at IU Health got their COVID-19 vaccine over the last week across all hospitals.
While it is surely light at the end of the tunnel for many of those on the frontline, it is not enough for COVID fatigue.
“To take a gamble and run the risk of getting this virus and hoping that you survive it without any major issues is a huge risk. Incredibly poor judgment, not a great plan,” Dr. Christopher Doehring, vice president of medical affairs for Franciscan Health Central Indiana said.
Doehring stresses patience is key. Wednesday also brought the first Moderna shipment of 2,000 doses to Franciscan.
“I can tell you that so far it’s just been a steady stream of folks that are incredibly enthusiastic, very happy to get vaccinated,” Doehring said.
More than 1,000 frontline workers across Franciscan Health have received the Pfizer vaccine. Doehring said with the growing vaccine supply, the general public should see their turn in the spring.
The holiday week also brings news of a new strain of the virus, reported to be some 70% more transmissible, identified in the United Kingdom.
Butler University Assistant Professor and Diversity Initiatives Facilitator Ogbonnaya Omenka said Dr. Anthony Fauci’s comment on the new strain possibly already being in the United States “is not far-fetched at all.”
With the threat of a new strain and COVID fatigue setting in over the holiday, Omenka and other experts agree now is not the time to let your guard down.
“The need to not use the vaccine as the only escape route at the moment. It’s very premature to let our foot off the gas pedal of caution,” Omenka said.
