COVID-19 Vaccine Arrives At UW Health In Madison

The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines have arrived at UW Health, and employees are expected to begin receiving vaccinations Monday afternoon (December 14).

UW Health received 3,900 doses Monday morning, which will go to frontline workers including doctors, nurses and others who interact with COVID-19 patients.

"We are proud to play a role in helping our partners in the area get vaccine doses they need to protect their front-line workers as fast as possible so we can get on to the next group of people to be vaccinated," Dr. Matt Anderson, senior medical director ambulatory operations, said in a UW Health news release last week.

Anderson described the vaccine to the Wisconsin State Journal as a “tool for us to use to bring about the end” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nurses, nursing assistants, clinical techs and others are being trained to prepare the vials of vaccines and administer them,” UW Health explained in a December 9 news release. “To master injecting the vaccines, they will first practice by injecting colleagues (and sometimes fruit!) with a saline solution.”

UW Health "will strongly encourage, but not require providers and staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccine," spokeswoman Emily Kumlien said. "However, those who decline it will be required to complete a declination form citing the reason."

Following healthcare professionals, residents of nursing homes are expected to be able to receive the vaccination soon at CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

“While excitement for the vaccines is understandable, UW Health wants the community to understand that wide availability of the vaccines is still months away,” the release states. “Patients should not call their healthcare providers to schedule a vaccination, and there are no wait lists for the vaccine at this time…With a difficult winter still ahead of us, it is important that everyone practice proven prevention efforts such as wearing a mask, social distancing and washing your hands.”

Photo: Getty Images