After nearly 9 months, Operation Warp Speed is tangible here in the Permian Basin.
Altogether the hospitals here will have about 5,000 thousand doses of the vaccine available for our frontline.
“Today when the vaccine rolled in here, you could feel everyone was relieved and we are glad to get it deployed," Rusell Tippin, Medical Center CEO, said.
Medical Center received 2,100 doses of the vaccine, 400 more are expected to arrive later this week.
Odessa Regional got 400.
Scenic Mountain Medical Center in Big Spring got 300.
As for Midland, they had a head start distributing the Pfizer vaccine last week.
They received 1,950 doses of the vaccine and have about 500 more doses left to distribute.
A huge first step in getting past the pandemic, but not a reason to let down our guard just yet.
Tippin emphasizing both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine require a second dose.
“With Pfizer, there’s about a 25 wait period, with Moderma there are about 28 days," Tippin said. "And then that’s when we’ll give them their second dose. Today is just a starting point. The immunity is still another 40 days away.”
Just like Midland, hospital employees are first in line.
What is left over will go to private physicians, EMS and school nurses.
No one will be forced to get the vaccine.
Tippin says he is waiting...leaving his dose for a frontline worker.
“There are so many more people out there that are doing more than me. They are on the frontline dealing with COVID patients every day."
Tippin also wants to make sure rural hospital's frontline are vaccinated, too.
"There are small hospitals around us and we are going to work with them and get them some dozes today."
This week MCH hopes to vaccinate around 1,000 employees.
Midland has about 500 employees left to vaccinate with their Pfizer vaccine and ORMC will start vaccinating its employees Tuesday.