A nurse at Covenant Medical Center was the first person in Lubbock to receive the emergency-authorized coronavirus vaccine Tuesday.
Noe Melendez works in the cardiac intensive care unit at the hospital. He said he had no reservations about getting the Pfizer vaccine and hopes more vulnerable people will be able to get it soon.
“I see people get really sick. I see the sickest of the sick,” he said. “If we can help curb that, that would be amazing for everybody.”
Melendez said the process was easy.
“Didn’t feel it,” the nurse said about the shot. “I think the flu vaccine might’ve hurt more.”
Melendez, like everyone else who gets the first-available coronavirus vaccine, will soon get a second dose of the drug. In that time, the recipient still needs to practice good virus prevention measures like masking and distancing. The clinical trial for the vaccine found that a week after the second dose, the efficacy of the drug is about 95%.
Lubbock’s two hospital systems are expected to receive almost 5,000 doses of the first allotment of the immunization.
Covenant Medical Center got 2,925 doses of the vaccine and University Medical Center will receive 1,950 doses, according to the week one roll-out plan from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The vaccine is expected to help with the staffing situation that’s affected Lubbock’s hospital capacity for months now.
During the fall explosion of COVID-19 diagnoses, hundreds of healthcare workers have had to quarantine after testing positive for the virus or being exposed to it. Hospital leaders have repeatedly said bed space isn’t the biggest problem - having people to care for the patients in those beds is.
On Tuesday, 260 people were hospitalized with complications of COVID-19. Staffed beds have been more available this week. The most recent report shows 43 remaining beds, after several weeks teetering on full capacity.
Covenant Health’s Regional Chief Medical Officer Dr. Craig Rhyne said after nine months of uncertainty and caring for the sickest patients possi the reaction of the healthcare workers first in line to receive the vaccine was remarkable.
“I saw people that have been helping us lead the effort against this pandemic since the start crying tears of joy,” Rhyne said.
A timeline for the general public to receive a COVID-19 vaccine is still iffy. Best estimates suggest spring or summer 2021 for lower-risk populations. That could change as more vaccines are authorized for emergency use. There are several in development.
A recent survey from the Pew Research Center found that 60% of Americans said they would get a vaccine for the coronavirus if it was available to them. Roughly four in 10 respondents overall said they would definitely not or probably not get a vaccine, according to Pew.
“It’s not the vaccines that cure the disease -- it’s the vaccination,” Rhyne said. “It doesn’t work unless you take it.”
Have a news tip? Email Sarah Self-Walbrick at saselfwa@ttu.edu. Follow her reporting on Twitter @SarahFromTTUPM.
If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support local nonprofit journalism. Thanks for donating today.
