Kimber Wraalstad
Kimber Wraalstad, Administrator/CEO of North Shore Health, announced that medicine to fight COVID-19 would likely be early next week, and she shared the good news with the Cook County News-Herald.
“It is anticipated that we will receive our first vaccines (Pfizer) next week on Monday (December 21), said Wraalstad. “The Northeast Healthcare Preparedness Coalition is responsible for assisting with the distribution of the vaccine for Hospitals as part of Phase 1A. They have developed a Hub and spoke model for our region. There are three Hubs: St. Luke’s, Essentia, and Fairview Range, Hibbing. We are a spoke of St. Luke’s. It is anticipated they will receive their vaccine tomorrow or Friday. We do not want to begin vaccinations over the weekend, so they will hold it for us until Monday. We will then be able to thaw and use the vaccine beginning on Tuesday.”
When asked who was first in line to get inoculated, Kimber responded, “I don’t know who will get the first vaccine. Jennifer Dowden, our Infection Control Coordinator, is working on that process. Employees have been asked who wants the vaccine, and Jennifer has created a list. We don’t want all the employees from a Department to get the vaccine at the same time, so she is splitting the administration between departments over several weeks.”
Will all of the North Shore Health employees be mandated to get immunized? She was asked.
“We are not making the COVID vaccination mandatory as this was approved with an Emergency Use Authorization. However, we are highly recommending it. I believe all the Physicians plan to get the vaccine and I am planning to get one when Jennifer tells me it is my turn. The Pfizer vaccine requires a second dose after 21 days.”
How about care center residents? Do you know when they will receive a vaccination?
“The Minnesota Department of Health is planning to direct the Moderna vaccine to the Care Center Residents. The FDA is currently reviewing the Moderna vaccine. If all goes as anticipated, we expect to receive that vaccine the week of December 28. The Residents will be vaccinated and receive their second dose 28 days after their first dose. We will be requesting consents from the Care Center Residents and their family as soon as we have the vaccine factsheet. The factsheet is released after the FDA approves the vaccine.”
With only so many doses available during this initial rollout, do you know how many will be allocated to North Shore Health?
“We are being told that we will receive between 50 and 75 doses of the Pfizer vaccine with the first delivery. When the vaccine arrives at St. Luke’s, we will know for sure how much was in the shipment. We anticipate receiving weekly deliveries until all our staff is vaccinated. The Pfizer vaccine comes in vials containing five doses each and the Moderna vaccine will come in vials with ten doses each.”
When enough medicine comes available to the public, do you have any idea what it will cost?
“I don’t know if there will be a cost to the public for the vaccine. I can’t imagine there would be a cost for the vaccine, but there may be a cost for administration charged to a person’s insurance, but if there is no insurance, I don’t believe there would be a cost. My thoughts about cost are just speculation and not in my sphere of knowledge. North Shore Health will not be vaccinating the general public. Sawtooth Mountain Clinic will assume that role in collaboration with Public Health.”
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