The Barry-Eaton District Health Department (BEDHD) on Monday received initial doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Frontline staff at BEDHD began receiving first doses of the vaccine to prepare for upcoming mass vaccination efforts. Additional vaccines will be provided to first responders and other members of vaccine distribution Phase 1-A.
“BEDHD is honored to begin the vaccination process in our district,” said Colette Scrimger, MSW, Health Officer of BEDHD. “This is what public health is here for, and this vaccine will be an important step forward in protecting the health of residents of Barry and Eaton Counties.”
Jackie Anderson, RN, was the first individual to be vaccinated at BEDHD. "I was grateful to receive a COVID-19 vaccine today. Getting COVID-19 vaccines out to the community will be a critical step in ending the pandemic and slowly bringing life back to our new normal.”
The Moderna vaccine is a two-dose vaccine. The first and second doses are spaced 28 days apart. After the second dose, the Moderna vaccine is 94.5% effective at preventing COVID-19 infection. The two doses of the Moderna vaccine cannot be mixed and matched with the similar Pfizer vaccine. Both vaccines use mRNA technology. While these are the first mainstream vaccines that use this technology, mRNA technology for vaccines has been studied for some time. The Moderna vaccine is FDA-approved and safe for individuals who are aged 18 and older. “Vaccination is the best strategy to prevent the spread of disease,” said Dr. Woodall, DO and Medical Director at BEDHD. “The Moderna vaccine has been highly effective in clinical trials and BEDHD is optimistic that eventual widespread vaccination will help us beat COVID-19 in the district.”
After receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, individuals should continue to take precautions such as social distancing, hand washing, and mask wearing. Like every vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine is not 100% effective. Additionally, the vaccine has not been approved for children. As such, these disease prevention measures will need to be maintained until pandemic activity is sufficiently reduced.
For updates regarding BEDHD’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts, please visit https://www.barryeatonhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine-information. On this page businesses, healthcare providers, and individuals in categories 1-A and 1-B can fill out a form indicating interest in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Further questions about BEDHD and the COVID-19 vaccine can be addressed to covidvaccine@bedhd.org.
