By Mitchell Kirk | Daily Reporter
GREENFIELD — Hancock Regional Hospital had another full day of COVID-19 vaccinations Monday and anticipates similar turnouts this week.
The hospital began administering a COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer to front-line health-care workers on Friday, Dec. 18. Those who received shots were scheduled to return in 21 days for the second dose.
Almost all of the 192 people scheduled to receive vaccinations on Friday received them, said Tim Livesay, director of pharmacy for the hospital. On Monday, Dec. 22, another full day of 192 were scheduled, he added. Health-care workers receiving the vaccine are not just from Hancock County; medical professionals from nearby counties are also coming here to be vaccinated as well.
Livesay said the vaccination process has been running very smoothly. Any adverse effects from the vaccine have been minor and have included effects like arm soreness and a mild headache, he continued.
This week’s vaccination schedule is pretty much full, Livesay said.
“Next week is starting to fill up, so I anticipate our schedule being full as long as we have the vaccine coming in,” he said.
The hospital received 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine last Thursday, Dec. 17, which Livesay anticipates exhausting on Thursday. He said the hospital is scheduled to receive its next shipment today (Tuesday, Dec. 22), and is slated to receive shipments every week.
Federal officials Friday authorized a second COVID-19 vaccine, made by Moderna, for emergency use. That vaccine is expected to be distributed in the U.S. starting this week.
Livesay said the hospital was informed that it will be getting doses of the Moderna vaccine as well.
Hancock County added a COVID-19 death and 169 cases over the weekend, raising its totals to 77 and 4,575, respectively, according to data collected by the Indiana State Department of Health.
The fatality was a woman age 80 or older who died on Dec. 17.
Craig Felty, vice president, chief nursing officer and chief operating officer of Hancock Regional Hospital, reported the hospital was treating nine COVID-19 patients Monday, down from 15 reported on Dec. 15.
The state health department Monday updated COVID-19 case totals through last Friday among students, teachers and staff at schools across Indiana as well. All four of Hancock County’s public school districts reported new student cases. Mt. Vernon High School added the most, with 12. Greenfield-Central was the only district to add new teacher cases. Only three schools in the county — J.B. Stephens Elementary, Maxwell Intermediate and Brandywine Elementary — added new staff cases.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
