HOUSTON – More than 220,000 vaccines are expected across the state next week beginning as early as Monday. Here in Houston, many hospitals are looking to vaccinate or than 1,000 healthcare workers per day.
Houston area hospital plans for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution are being finalized as healthcare workers wait for FDA emergency approval.
“We have over 8,000 doctors nurses and other frontline healthcare workers scheduled for their vaccines beginning on the 16th,” said Roberta Schwartz, Executive VP of Houston Methodist Hospital.
Houston Methodist hospital will get more than 13,000 vaccines as early as next week. About 2,000 healthcare workers are expected to be vaccinated per day. It will take one week to get through this first allotment.
Memorial Hermann Hospital planning on receiving 16,500 vaccines. The most of any Houston medical system. They plan to dole out 1,800 vaccines per day. This distribution will take nine to 10 days.
“We have 28,000 employees who work across our system. We don’t believe we will have enough vaccine for everybody who wants to be vaccinated until at least early summer,” said Dr. David Callender, president and CEO of Memorial Hermann Hospital.
According to the Texas state department of health services, the first week’s worth of the Pfizer vaccine will be shipped to 109 hospitals and 34 counties as early as next week. And while a vaccine means some relief is on the way, Dr. Callender said it’s not the time to let your guard down.
“We don’t believe we will see the impact of the Thanksgiving holiday in maybe five to seven more days,” Dr. Callender said.
“So while we do see this light at the end of the tunnel it is not the time to let down your guard,” Schwartz said.
St. Luke’s Hospital expected to get 6,800 doses next week. HCC a Houston Health Garrett tells me they also have a distribution plan in place once we see that FDA approval. Again vaccine distribution could start as early as next week.