Join host, Jonathan Fialkow, M.D., chief population health officer at Baptist Health, and his guests Madeline Camejo, Pharm.D., chief pharmacy officer and vice president of pharmacy services; Samer Fahmy, M.D., chief medical officer at Boca Raton Regional Hospital; and Rachel Evers, R.N., director of surgical services at Baptist Hospital for a discussion of the latest developments in the battle against COVID-19, with hope for a brighter 2021.
I wanted to share some key highlights and takeaways from the podcast and if you want to listen to it in full: click here.
Who should get the vaccine?
CDC and Florida Department of Health follow national standards and guidelines. Highest risk or most vulnerable first:
1A: Healthcare Workers, Emergency Responders, Nursing Home Patients
1B: High morbidity risks, essential workers
2: Teachers
2B: Public servants who we depend on to live
3: General Population
Vaccine Distribution: Distribution and storage can be tricky. For example, the Pfizer vaccine neds to be stored at -80. It is shipped direct from Michigan to airport to pharmacy in ultra cooled freezers and monitored every step of the way.
For distribution it needs to be thawed for 3 hours and then refrigerated, but you have to keep it cool. You only have 6 hours to use or you lose stability and effectiveness of the vaccine.
Distribution has been tricky and is still a work in progress.
How does the work: Normally, people are used to the flu vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine does not include any live virus. They do include manufactured proteins (messenger RNA molecules). The messengers send messages to your body to instruct it to produce the proteins that in turn trigger your immune system and trigger antibodies to fight the virus.
Hopes for the Public: Is that they will let minor side effects like arm pain, fatigue, lethargy stop them from getting the vaccine and working towards herd immunity. With the COVID-19 vaccine, genetic material never enters the nucleus of cells. “Getting the vaccine gives us the hope of normalcy.”
Have there been medical advancements in treatment?
Convalescent Plasma: Thankfully, we armed with many more tools. Some have been fully approved and others are awaiting FDA approval. There will be a mainstay of treatment, steroids and antivirals that when administered early on in disease may prevent lunge damage.
There are also medications for mild or moderate patients to prevent progression, especially in patients who qualify ages 55-64 with comorbidities or 65 and above. Reduces patient hospital administration up to 70%.
Baptist Health South Florida has discharged 8,000 COVID-19 patients.
What do we tell people who are afraid of vaccines?
It is a personal choice. COVID-19 is a huge gamble. “We have seen young people needing lung transplants and patients at 94 walking out of the hospital. “
Their expected rollout time frame is:
Phase 1: Mid Feb
Phase 2: Feb-April
Phase 3 (General Public) : Late Spring/Early Summer
For more on the COVID-19 and insight fro the experts at Baptist Health South Florida, click here. Or, for the full transcript, click here.