Frontline workers at Watsonville Hospital to receive COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION) A glimmer of hope now in the hands of some of our Central Coast hospitals as the first frontline health care workers get vaccinated against the virus that has caused so much to change in our lives this year.
In Watsonville, doctors, nurses and therapists were all jubilant to be getting their shots on Wednesday, marking for them a turning point in the year-long battle against COVID-19.
Most of these frontline workers have been right in the thick of things since March. One respiratory therapist tells KION he has had to work a lot more than he has ever had to before, and he's getting vaccinated for his family including his 89-year-old grandmother.
Out of the 400 frontline health care workers at Watsonville Community Hospital like emergency room doctors, nurses and support staff, over a third have already signed up to get the shot.
"This is important healthcare workers to be protected so we can continue taking care of our patients. We've seen a huge volume coronavirus patients recently and really brings it home that it's important to protect our health care workers but also our community," said David Claypool, an emergency department physician at WCH.
This is the first vaccine batch the hospital has received so far. There were about 40 vaccinations on Wednesday in total, including with respiratory therapist Travis Stevens, who has been worried about his family since the start.
"There's this anxiety and nightmares I've had about getting them sick, so I'm happy in a way that I can protect myself a little bit by the vaccine," said Stevens.
The hospital will do vaccinations of staff every day for the rest of the week into next; part of it is also to send a clear message to the community: the vaccine is safe.
"It'd be hypocrisy not to be involved with it, and I'm excited to be able to show that their health care workers are getting it as soon as we can," said Claypool.
Employees are not required to take the vaccine, but those who do will get a second vaccine dose in 21 days as is required for it to be effective. There are a total of 656 employees at WCH, and officials there expect more people will sign up to get vaccinated when there are more batches available.
"I hope this will start to calm down. I hope people will be able to talk to people or have more communication than they are right now. I mean life right now for most people, even my children, have been through Zoom, they've been through the Internet, they haven't seen any of their friends. I hope that changes," said Stevens.
While the vaccine does provide a sign of hope, doctors say it is still not going to stop a surge this winter as is expected over the holidays. It will be up to individual responsibility to make sure the number of cases stays down.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE: Frontline healthcare workers at Watsonville Community Hospital are expected to receive some of the first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shots on the Central Coast Wednesday afternoon.
The hospital is allowing KION to film the process today.
KION’s Josh Kristianto will have more tonight at 5 and 6 p.m.
