Vaccines Administered at Intermountain Cassia Regional Hospital

INTERMOUNTAINCASSIA REGIONALHOSPITAL AREAMONG THETHOUSANDSALREADY RECEIVINGTHEIR COVID-19VACCINE...FOR THOSE GETTINGTHEIR FIRST DOSETHIS WEEK... ITBRINGS NEW HOPEAFTER SEVERALMONTHS OFUNCERTAINTY...BUT AS IDAHO NEWS6'S NATASHAWILLIAMS SHOWSUS... IT ALSO BRINGSNEW CONCERNS.NEW HOPE INHOSPITALS ACROSSTHE STATE...WITHMORE THAN 10-THOUSAND FRONTLINE WORKERSALREADY RECEIVINGTHEIR FIRST DOSE OFTHE COVID-19VACCINE.

HEALTHCARE - HOPING THISIS AN OPPORTUNITYTO LEAD BYEXAMPLE."THE CARE OF OURPATIENTS ANDOURSELVES IS OURNUMBER ONEPRIORITY, AND BYDOING THAT FIRST IHOPE IT HELPSPEOPLE TOUNDERSTAND THEVACCINE IS SAFEAND IT'S EFFECTIVE."AS WE REPORTED...THE PACE OF THEPANDEMIC HAS BEENUNRELENTING FORMONTHS."I RECOVERED FROMCOVID-19, BUT SIX OFMY PATIENTS,PERSONAL FRIENDSOF MINE DID NOT.

IWANT TO BE PART OFTHE SOLUTION AND IHOPE OTHERS WILLFOLLOW MY LEAD ASWE COMBAT THISPOTENTIALLYDEADLY ANDDEBILITATINGINFECTION."RURAL HOSPITALSSAY THE SITUATIONHAS BEENESPECIALLY DIREFOR THEM.

THEIRSTAFF ISEXHAUSTED... ANDSOME HAVE BEENFORCED TOQUARANTINE AFTERTESTING POSITIVEFOR THE VIRUSTHEMSELVES."WHEN THEY COMETO THE HOSPITALAND THEY CAN'TBREATH BECAUSEOF COVID OR AHEART ATTACK, WEMIGHT NOT BE ABLETO TAKE CARE OFTHEM BECAUSEEITHER OUR STAFFARE SICK OR THEHOSPITAL IS FILLEDWITH PEOPLE."THE VACCINE ISGIVING FRONTLINEWORKERS NEWHOPE... BUT THEYSAY THE BATTLE ISNOT OVER."AS THEAVAILABILITY OF THEVACCINE THENBEGINS TO ROLL OUTBEYOND JUSTHEALTHCAREWORKERS AND FIRSTRESPONDERS WECAN BEGIN TOTOUCH MOREPEOPLE--BUT WESTILL HAVE A FEWMONTHS OFCHALLENGE."HEALTH EXPERTSWARN THIS IS NOTTHE TIME TO GROWCOMPLACENT.

IT'SSTILL RECCOMENDEDEVERYONE FOLLOWCOVID-19PREVENTIONPROTOCOLS."WE CAN NOT BEGOOD STEWARDS OFTHIS PROBLEM, THISPANDEMIC, ANDPROVIDE BEST CAREPOSSIBLE FOR OURCOMMUNITIESWITHOUT OURCOMMUNITY'S HELP."THE IDAHODEPARTMENT OFHEALTH ANDWELFARE ESTIMATESWE WON'T SEEBENEFITS OF HERDIMMUNITY UNTILSUMMER OF 2021.

INTWIN FALLS...NATASHA WILLIAMS...IDAHO NEWS 6.