Health & Fitness
Frontline Workers Claim They're At The Back Of The Line For COVID-19 Vaccines At BJC Hospitals
Complaints are coming in from frontline healthcare workers at BJC Healthcare hospitals who claim they're being forced to wait weeks.
December 21, 2020
Complaints are coming into News 4 from frontline healthcare workers at BJC Healthcare hospitals who claim they're being forced to wait weeks to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
An intensive care unit (ICU) nurse who treats COVID-19 patients daily at a BJC hospital spoke to News 4, but asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
"We've put our literal blood, sweat and tears into trying to help this community and it's so heartbreaking that this is the thanks we're seemingly getting," she said.
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At the heart of the problem is the decision to prioritize employees older than 40. Senior vice president and chief clinical officer, Clay Dunagan, addressed the decision in a statement released to News 4.
In response to the vaccine distribution plan, a change.org online petition has been started with the title "Help frontline nurses at BJC get vaccinated!"
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The petition directly addresses the consequences of targeting older workers when it comes to getting the vaccine first. It says, "the vast majority of people working with COVID patients --mainly people in their 20"s and 30's--are amongst the last to receive the vaccine." Another ICU nurse who treats COVID-19 patients at a different BJC hospital said secretaries and administrators who don't care for COVID-19 patients have already received their first dose of the vaccine. She said, in the meantime, many who work in COVID-19 ICU wards are still waiting for the opportunity to book an appointment for the vaccine.
"So, there will be a large number of people who are fully vaccinated before I am even able to make my first appointment for my first vaccine," she said.
Employees must wait to receive an email that gives them the capability to go online and book a time to receive the vaccine. The emails also stated that a leadership team worked all weekend on a strategy to roll out the next wave of emails.
By Sunday evening, the online petition had over 800 signatures.