Healthcare workers at Singing River Health System receive COVID-19 vaccine

The first vaccinations against COVID-19 have begun in Mississippi as cases of COVID-19 soar.

Vaccinations on the Coast arrived today at Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula.

The first vaccinations against- the new coronavirus - have begun in mississippi as- cases of covid-19 soar.

- vaccinations on the coast - arrived today at singing river- hospital in pascagoula.

- news 25's grace boyles takes to- the moment when the first doses- of the vaccination were given t- frontline - healthcare workers in - pascagoula.

- - <nats:"this is what we hope, no the end,- but the beginning of the end."> these singing river health- system frontline healthcare - workers were the first on the - gulf coast to receive the - covid-19 vaccination.

- 975 doses of the pfizer vaccine- were delivered by the - mississippi - state department tuesday- afternoon to- singing river in pascagula as a- part of phase 1-a of vaccinatio- distribution.

- lee bond, ceo of singing river- health system: "we our honored and blessed - we have such strong heroes on - the frontline, these warriors - that have just- been fighting and fighting sinc- march 9th-- without a break."

Singing river chief nursing and- patient officer susan - russell was one of the frontlin- workers that received the - vaccine tuesday.- susan russell, chief nursing an- patient officer: "i can honestl say i really did not feel - it.

I may have a little bit of - sore arm.

That's always a - possibility when you- get a vaccine, but right now, i- mean, i can't even tell i had a- - - - vaccine.

So i'd tell everybody- do not let fear stop you from - being protected from this - disease."

The pfizer vaccination is an- r-n-a vaccine and requires- special - handling.

It can't be vigorousl- shaken or jolted and it has to- - - - be in controlled temperature.

- susan russell, chief nursing an- patient officer: "the staff are getting acclimated- with our pharmacy experts on ho- to manage it because this is a- little different- then previous vaccines.

So just- making sure every single vaccin- was - handled appropriately and going- through that learning curve."

21 days after receiving the - vaccine, a booster is - administered to complete the- vaccination process.- susan russell, chief nursing an- patient officer: "after the first vaccine, we know that - just within a couple of days yo- have immunity.

But you get that- almost one- - hundred percent immunity after- that 21 day booster-- very much- like when you - were a child and you got your - booster shot.

This is the same- thing."

Currently, the healthcare syste- doesn't have information- on the potential timing of- receiving vaccines for- phase 1-b or the following- phases of distribution.

- until then, those vaccinated ar- still encouraged to continue to- follow c-d-c guidelines.- lee bond, ceo of singing river- health system: "there's a lot o specualtion about - them, but until it's here we- can't count on it.

So we're - really focused on the here- and the now."

Singing river hopes to- administer the remainder of the- vaccinations to more of their - most critical frontline - workers by friday.- in pascagoula, grace boyles,- news 25.-