Santa Monica Hospital To Receive Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccines

SANTA MONICA, CA — Providence Southern California, with 11 hospitals across three counties, including its facility in Santa Monica, will begin administering Pfizer vaccines to front-line caregivers this week.

"Not since the polio vaccine in the 1950s has the public so anxiously awaited an injection expected to conquer dreaded illness," Providence announced Monday. "Providence is eager to receive in the coming days its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccines."

Following the vaccinations for health care workers, the group will follow federal recommendations on vaccines for vulnerable groups next in line for the sought after COVID-19 vaccine.

"Providence leaders have developed a plan and are poised to serve their caregivers, providers and vulnerable community members," the group said.

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Providence Southern California clinical, pharmacy and quality experts have planned the storage and distribution processes and described what comes next in the fast-moving process. The group is receiving the Pfizer vaccination and sharing it at their hubs throughout the region, followed by the Moderna vaccine once it's approved, officials said.

"We did that so our providers, our physicians our nurses and the likes will not have to go to great lengths to receive their inoculation," Sylvain Trepanier, DNP, RN, regional chief clinical executive, told Patch Monday.

"As soon as we know the arrival of the vaccine, everyone will be invited to schedule an appointment to get their vaccines," Trepanier said. "We made sure that everyone understands that it's possible that some may have some reactions."

So far, based on what the trials have shown and what we know, those reactions are mild, he said.

"But we have asked that everyone be cognizant of scheduling themselves the day prior to being off, for instance, so that we leave that 24-48-hour period as best we can," Trepanier said. "It's all accounted for into our scheduling with all of our physicians and our nurses."

Hospitals are getting to capacity, Trepanier said.

"We are getting stretched like everybody else in our region," Trepanier said. "The good news is we have been planning for this for the longest time. So, not only do we have our regular intensive care environment but we're able to go beyond that very safely and care for our patients. Is our system stressed at the current time and are we near capacity everywhere? That would be correct."

During this initial phase, emergency responders, fire departments and essential workers are not expected to receive the vaccine yet, however, that is the next part of the planning for vaccinations.

"We are very confident, at least from what we heard, that those would come soon thereafter," Trepanier said.

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