Dr. Santa” Fulfills a Holiday Wish for an Eastern Connecticut Health Network Nurse
This year, Santa will be fulfilling a holiday wish from an Eastern Connecticut Health Network nurse who recently stated, “All I want for Christmas is a vaccine.” Diana Flebeau, a registered nurse caring for COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic recently shared this sentiment with a reporter when interviewed about her work fighting the virus. Diana’s wish is not only for her protection, but for the protection of others as our hospitals receive the much anticipated and FDA approved COVID-19 vaccine!
Join us as Dr. Robert Carroll, Chief of Emergency Medicine administers the COVID-19 vaccine to a handful of front-line healthcare workers on Wednesday, December 16 at 10 a.m. in the Manchester Memorial Hospital lobby. We will be joined by Manchester Mayor Jay Moran and ECHN’s Chief Executive Officer, Deborah Weymouth. Santa’s helpers will also be handing out literature to educate the public on this important topic regarding the side effects and efficacy of the Pfizer Vaccine.
ECHN received 975 vaccine doses and we are prepared to begin administering the vaccine this week!
Dr. Saud Anwar, pulmonologist and State Senator states, “As a high-risk healthcare worker, I am glad that I am receiving the vaccine, but I will be much happier once all people who are willing and need to have the vaccine receive it. Only when we have critical mass of people vaccinated, we will be able to reignite our economy and lives again.”
Marvin Bristol, Respiratory Therapist and Clinical Educator, shared, “I’m getting the vaccine to show my coworkers and people who look like me, that I have confidence and trust in the researchers and scientists who created this vaccine. The benefits outweigh the risks.
Melissa Osborne, EMS Operator and Educator with Ambulance Service of Manchester said, “EMS crews, including ours, have been braving the frontlines since the onset of the pandemic. The vaccine is a vital step on the road to recovery. The opportunity to receive it offers a sense of relief and enables us to better protect our patients and each other.”
Deborah Weymouth, Chief Executive Officer of ECHN said, “Today, marks the new phase in combating the COVID-19 virus. We are equipped with a vaccine to protect healthcare workers, first responders and members of our community. Our exceptional physicians and clinicians have prepared for this moment and we join in celebration for what this inoculation means to our future and our collective health.”
Manchester Mayor Jay Moran said, “The development, approval, distribution and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine is great news for the Manchester community,” said Mayor Jay Moran. “I have always advocated following the science, and leading public health experts all say that the quickest way to effectively end this pandemic is through the administration of a safe, effective, and medically vetted vaccine. With the deployment of the FDA-approved vaccine over the weekend, we can now see light at the end of the tunnel, but we can’t let our guard down. Please continue to wash your hands, wear a mask, and watch your distance.
Here in Manchester, ECHN will begin administering doses at Manchester Memorial Hospital, with the priority rounds of vaccination targeted to healthcare workers, nursing home residents and medical first responders. It is the hope that the entire public will have the opportunity to get vaccinated by the first half of 2021 and I look forward to being one of them.
With contributions from the private and public sectors, healthcare and research institutions, and local, state, and federal agencies, it has been a true team effort getting to this point. The game is not over, however, and in order to achieve a full victory over COVID-19, we must all continue to work together.”