Henry Co. Medical Center provides update on vaccination process

PARIS, Tenn. — The Henry County Medical Center provided an update on its vaccination process.

The news release from HCMC says the vaccine arrived at a critical time.

Paula Bell, Pharmacy Director, receiving the first shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on December 23.

The medical center says, as of Monday, its CCU and PCU/COVID-19 units are at capacity, and all ventilators are in use. HCMC adds that even three of its anesthesia machines have been converted to ventilators for COVID-positive patients.

The center says their first shipment of the Moderna vaccine arrived last Wednesday, and they quickly began the vaccination process. The release says 600 doses were unboxed.

HCMC says they had began vaccinating frontline workers by 1 p.m. the same day. However, HCMC adds that they are unsure when it will be available to the community.

“We’re unsure when the vaccine will be available for broad, community distribution, though we are thoughtfully planning and working closely with state health authorities to ensure we are ready as soon as such availability is realized,” said HCMC Chief Executive Officer Lisa Casteel.

Casteel says they are following Tennessee Department of Health guidelines, which say that healthcare workers who have direct contact with patients receive the vaccine first.

Casteel says that the center is committed to ensuring residents have access to the vaccine, and she stressed that this is a turning point in the ongoing fight against the coronavirus.

Even with the arrival of the vaccine in West Tennessee, Casteel says to not let your guard down.

“We continue observing safety protocols such as wearing a mask, washing hands frequently and practicing social distancing,” she said.

The release says a shipment of nearly 900 Pfizer vaccines is also being sent to the facility.

“We continue to vaccinate and move through our phased vaccination process,” said Pharmacy Director Paula Bell. “With the arrival of additional vaccine, we will begin to reach out to the community to provide vaccinations based on this process.”

HCMC says it will continue to offer coronavirus testing with a provider’s order.

The Henry County Health Department is also providing free nose swab testing on Tuesdays and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. by appointment only.

The release says the health department is also offering new self-tests on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by appointment.