
Sen. Brown tours COVID-19 testing site at CAS
Sen. Brown talks with members of the Ohio National Guard who’ve joined health care workers across the state on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19.
Just three days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, 975 doses of the much-anticipated vaccine rolled into The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center on a chilly Monday morning.
“This is hope. This is the beginning of the end of the pandemic.”Gov. Mike DeWine
A jubilant Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine were waiting outside with hospital and university leaders. Medical center workers spelled out O-H-I-O in the hospital’s loading dock.
A celebration broke out among the syringes and gauze and vials. There were cheers. Tears. A countdown:
“3-2-1. Vaccinate!”
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center administers vaccines all the time. But never like this. Reporters from around the country, including CNN, NBC News, The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Associated Press, documented the vaccine’s every move, from delivery truck to deltoid.
Six health care workers involved in the direct care of COVID-19-positive patients received shots while cameras flashed and reporters scribbled notes.
In all, 30 people were vaccinated that first day, a trial run to make sure the process went smoothly.
Vaccinations continued throughout the week, and as pharmacists discovered extra doses within the Pfizer vaccine vials, Ohio State was able to vaccinate more than 1,000 medical workers in total. Vaccinations will continue as more shipments arrive.
“This is history in its making right now.” Meghana Moodabagil, MD, one of the first people at Ohio State to receive the injection
“Today is a very special day for us all in the state of Ohio, at The Ohio State University and in the United States of America. It’s incredible,” said Steven Loborec, PharmD, assistant director in the Department of Pharmacy, speaking to the media as he prepared a syringe with the vaccine.
Beyond a little soreness in the arm, those who have received the vaccine at Ohio State report feeling great.
“After months of preparation, I am extraordinarily proud of the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center for once again being at the forefront of the global COVID-19 response as our faculty and staff were among the first wave to receive the vaccine.” Hal Paz, MD, executive vice president and chancellor for Health Affairs at The Ohio State University and CEO of the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
Vaccines mark the beginning of a new era in the battle against the coronavirus, but much more remains to be done. With more than 100 COVID-19-related studies underway across the university, Ohio State is continuing to push innovation in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19—so that the pandemic, one day, will also be part of history.
Over 1,700 people streamed into the Schottenstein Center to take that first step back to normal after nearly a year of worry.
Read moreThe Johnson & Johnson vaccine adds even greater strength to the effort. Requiring just one dose, this is the latest vaccine to receive Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA.