Ochsner officials say hospital could get COVID vaccine as early as Monday

Ochsner St. Mary staff members most at risk for exposure to COVID-19 could begin receiving the new Pfizer vaccine as early as Monday, according to members of the Ochsner Health System administration and medical staff.

The system conducted a Zoom meeting for reporters Friday as Ochsner waits for its first shipment of the vaccine. Among those online were Debbie Simonson, a vice president with pharmacy responsibilities, and Drs. Sandy Kennerly, Katherine Baumgarten and Leo Seoane.

Louisiana public health officials have prioritized health care workers for the early rounds of vaccine delivery. Baumgartner said Friday that the system will await word about vaccine availability from the state government before making the vaccine available to the general public.

Here are some of the key points:

---Ochsner is expecting delivery of the Pfizer vaccine, a messenger RNA vaccine that requires ultra-cold storage. But after it is removed from ultra-cold temperatures, the vaccine can be safely kept in normal refrigeration for five days.

The Pfizer vaccine has been recommended for emergency use authorization by a Food and Drug Administration panel after trials indicated the vaccine has 95% efficacy. Inoculation requires two shots 21 days apart.

Moderna also has an MRNA vaccine awaiting approval by the FDA for emergency use. It requires two shots 28 days apart.

--Ochsner is expecting more than 9,000 doses of the vaccine, which will be divided among three hubs with ultra-cold storage capability: 1,325 doses for Shreveport, which will serve Ochsner facilities in north Louisiana; 2,975 for Lafayette to serve central and west Louisiana facilities; and 5,125 does for the New Orleans hub, which will serve that area plus the Bayou region, including Ochsner St. Mary.

--Ochsner plans to move vaccine doses from the hubs to the system's facilities quickly.

--The first vaccinations will go to staff members who work in COVID units, and not just doctors and nurses. This tier will also include people such as food service workers and members of the cleaning staff who are at frequent risk of COVID exposure. The second round of shots will go to these deemed to be at occasional risk, and the third round to those who have no contact with COVID patients.

A few weeks may be required to inoculate all hospital staff members.

--Staff members will receive notification when the vaccine is ready for use. The vaccinations are not mandatory, but staff members are being encouraged to get them. On the other hand, staff members who have tested positive and have recovered within the last three months are believed to have immunity of unknown duration. They're being asked to delay their vaccinations to conserve the vaccine.