28 Jan OMC to Provide Additional Resources to Community Vaccine Clinics
PORT ANGELES (January 28, 2021) – Olympic Medical Center will provide staffing and supply of the Pfizer vaccine at the Port Angeles vaccination clinic on two weekends each month in February and March, according to Darryl Wolfe, chief executive officer at OMC.
OMC is planning to administer approximately 1,000 doses per day at the Port Angeles vaccination clinics. OMC is also providing additional staffing to support the Jamestown Family Health vaccination clinic in Sequim, beginning on February 2.
As we approach completing vaccinations for more than 1,100 health care workers at OMC, we are now able to plan to provide the expertise of our staff – and to continue to contribute our vaccine supply – to the communities of Port Angeles and Sequim. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and it's delivering the vaccine to the residents of Clallam County. We are pleased to continue to support to this effort.
Since the pandemic began, OMC has been committed to ensuring a safe and responsive healthcare environment to appropriately care for all patients, including those with COVID-19. Most recently, OMC bolstered staff and created a system to safely and efficiently inoculate Tier 1A healthcare workers with first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine. That work is wrapping up next week.
“OMC had a very successful implementation of the vaccine clinic for employees, from documenting and scheduling, to providing education and administering both doses in the required window,” adds Jennifer Burkhardt, chief human resources officer. “Our staff will bring experience and expertise that is valuable to the community response. We are also hiring additional personnel to support the Port Angeles and Sequim clinics.”
OMC administering Pfizer Vaccine
Clallam County Health and Human Services is managing the registration for the clinics in Port Angeles and Sequim, and eligible residents who are interested in receiving the vaccine must register in advance via vaccine.clallam.net/register. Current eligibility, as outlined by the Washington State Department of Health, can be found at olympicmedical.org/covid-19-vaccine-information.
In Port Angeles, OMC will administer the Pfizer vaccine and North Olympic Healthcare Network will provide the Moderna vaccine during their respective vaccine clinics, which will occur on different weeks. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are not interchangeable, and when individuals return for their second dose they must use the same vaccine they received on their initial dose. As recommended by Clallam County HHS, all individuals receiving vaccines are advised to retain their vaccination cards and present them when it is time to be administered the second dose.
OMC will administer the Pfizer vaccine on the following dates in Port Angeles:
- February 6-7
- February 27-28
- March 6-7
- March 27-28
OMC’s vaccine progress
Thanks to a proactive recommendation by the director of pharmacy earlier this fall, OMC purchased an ultra-low temperature freezer, which ultimately was necessary to safely and effectively store the Pfizer vaccine for community. The only other such freezer is owned by Olympic National Park.
According to Wolfe, due to having the appropriate storage in place and additional capabilities, OMC received an early allotment of the Pfizer vaccine and began vaccinating its health care workers with the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 18, 2020, following the phased guidelines for COVID-19 Vaccination, as prescribed by the Washington State Department of Health. By early February, OMC will have administered both doses of the vaccine to more than 1,100 health care workers. At the same time, OMC has been sharing doses out of its Moderna vaccine allotment with community vaccination clinics in Clallam County.
When individuals receive the Pfizer vaccine at OMC’s vaccination clinics in Port Angeles, they will receive information about scheduling their second dose. Jamestown Family Health Clinic and North Olympic Healthcare Network are administering the Moderna vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine is not interchangeable with the Moderna vaccine and vice versa. Individuals must receive the same vaccine for both their first and second doses, according to Dr. Scott Kennedy, chief medical officer at OMC.
“It is important for community members to return and obtain the second dose of their respective vaccine,” says Dr. Kennedy. The vaccines are highly effective. We expect individuals will develop immunity, significant protection against COVID-19 infection within a few weeks after completing the two-dose vaccination series. Wearing of masks and social distancing is still recommended though, until the extent of immunity is fully understood.
North Olympic Healthcare Network will provide staffing and vaccine supply at the Port Angeles vaccination clinic on the remaining two weekends in February and March.
For more information on OMC and vaccine response, go to olympicmedical.org/covid-19-vaccine-information.