Sanford Health receives first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine
Contact:
Paul Heinert
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 / paul.heinert@sanfordhealth.org
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Dec. 15, 2020 — The first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been delivered to Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls. Sanford Health has secured 3,900 doses in South Dakota for the first week. More doses are scheduled to be delivered each week.
Sanford Health front-line health care workers in South Dakota are scheduled to begin receiving the first doses of the vaccine on Tuesday. The state of South Dakota has set guidelines that prioritize groups for the vaccine until it is more widely available. The health system is strongly encouraging all eligible health care workers to receive the vaccine.
“This is a pivotal moment in the history of medicine that will change the course of the pandemic,” said Mike Wilde, M.D., vice president medical officer, Sanford Health – Sioux Falls. “As the largest rural health provider in the country, we have been preparing for months for this very complex effort. Sanford Health teams have been working around the clock to plan for and lead vaccination efforts in Sioux Falls and across our region.”
Sanford has been putting plans in place to store and distribute the vaccine across its vast geographic footprint. The health system invested in special cold storage facilities and has capacity to store almost 500,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Vaccine preparations involve pharmacy, supply chain, clinical operators, research and a number of other areas.
Sanford has a robust courier network with 180 couriers that will facilitate distribution of the vaccine to smaller medical centers across North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa as more supply becomes available. Sanford’s couriers regularly drive 11,500 miles daily to deliver lab work, medications and other needs.
Sanford Health will be one of the first locations in the country to vaccinate long-term care workers this week. In Sioux Falls, front-line staff at three Good Samaritan Society locations and two additional nursing homes will get the first shots from Sanford. The Good Samaritan Society is part of Sanford Health, one of the largest integrated health systems in the country.
“We are grateful to the state of South Dakota for prioritizing long-term care employees and residents in the vaccination roll-out,” said Randy Bury, president and CEO of The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. “Being part of Sanford Health has given us the benefit and ability to leverage resources like PPE and testing throughout this pandemic — and now we could not be prouder to be delivering the first vaccines to our front-line staff who have sacrificed so much to care for our most vulnerable older Americans.”
The FDA has authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The CDC has also recommended the vaccine for people ages 16 and older. The vaccine will be given as an injection into the muscle. The vaccination series is two doses given three weeks apart. In an ongoing clinical trial, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has been shown to be 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 following both doses.
“The U.S. has completed a rigorous regulatory and approvals process with unprecedented scrutiny and the data are clear that this vaccine is safe and effective,” said Jeremy Cauwels, M.D., chief physician at Sanford Health. “There is light at the end of the tunnel but we must continue to stay vigilant. Vaccines don’t save lives; vaccinations do.”
Distribution of the vaccine is the latest in series of steps Sanford Health has taken to lead the way during the pandemic. At the beginning of December, Sanford Health launched some of the first outpatient infusion centers to treat patients with new antibody therapies for COVID-19 that have been shown to improve outcomes and reduce hospitalizations for high-risk populations.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, one of the largest health systems in the United States, is dedicated to the integrated delivery of health care, genomic medicine, senior care and services, global clinics, research and affordable insurance. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization includes 46 hospitals, 1,400 physicians and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations in 26 states and 10 countries. Learn more about Sanford Health’s transformative work to improve the human condition at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
