Vaccines at Mercyone

Plan at mercyone.

The just approved moderna vaccine for covid?

"*19 is now reaching hospitals across the country ?

"* including in north iowa.

Kimt news 3's alex jirgens spent his day collecting information on how the vaccine will be distributed at mercyone facilities in north iowa.

He joins us live in mason city?

"* alex?xxx george ?

"* many folks here have been waiting anxiously for the vaccine to arrive.

And now ?

"* that the moderna vaccine is here, their hopes have become reality.

Mercyone north iowa received a thousand doses of the moderna vaccine this morning.

There's a tiered rollout plan in place.

High risk staffers ?

"* those that wo work primarily with covid?

"*19 patients ?

"* will be vaccinated first ?

"* and the hope is to vaccine about 3?

"* to?

"* 400 people weekly.

As the vaccine has an impact, president rod schlader predicts visitor restrictions could be loosened.xxx "our policy right now is if that gets below 100, we can relax our visitor restrictions.

We've learned a lot since then too.

We may look at that again if we start hovering around 200?

"*150, we may make some changes."

As to when the general public can be vaccinated ?

"* schlader predics it will likely be this spring ?

"* though it may be as soon as february.

Again ?

"* after first responders get the chance to receive the vaccine first.

Live in mason city ?

"* alex jirgens ?

"* kimt thanks, alex.

Again mercyone is following state guidelines and will administer the limited vaccine supply to healthcare workers and residents of senior care facilities first.

After that the hospital will follow recommendatio ns from the cdc advisory committee on immunization practices.

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