OCH hospital pivots to Pfizer or Moderna for in-house patients

The hospital used the single-dose J&J vaccine during its in-home vaccinations.

Now what?

To increase vaccines across the state continues, a hospital in the golden triangle is working to find new ways to give homebound patients their coronavirus shot.

Wtva's rhea thornton is live in oktibbeha county where she spoke with the chief nursing officer about their plans moving forward.

Just yesterday, och regional medical center announced they've put a pause on using the johnson and johnson vaccine... after six people reported blood clots across the nation.

This was the shot the hospital used to vaccinate homebound patients... ."

Savannah brown - interim cheif nursing officer at och: "over seven million of those vaccines have been administered, so this a minuscule amount of possible reaction."

Savannah brown is the interim chief nursing officer at och.

She helped start up the homebound vaccine program... which once used the johnson and johnson vaccine.

The hospital is now pivoting, to ensure those patients can still receive a vaccine.

Savannah brown - interim cheif nursing officer at och: "even though we're pausing the johnson and johnson, we will continue those efforts with either pfizer or moderna and when the second shot comes due, we will go and deliver the second shot."

Brown said patients will not need to make a second appointment.

Och emt's will automatically come when the second shot is due.

Savannah brown - interim cheif nursing officer at och: "people have been so scared for a year and if we can do anything to alleviate that fear part of this, then i think that it's worth doing."

Brown said workers will call to check on the homebound patients who received the johnson and johnson vaccine last friday... savannah brown - interim cheif nursing officer at och: "we feel like it's our responsibility.

While yes, a hospital is a business, we don't want the homebound patients to have to be here and if we can give them this vaccine and it keeps them out of the hospital, i mean that's all of our goal right?

Is to keep this community healthy."

Brown did say she does not want people to fear over the vaccine... however if (they?) did receive the johnson and johnson within the past two weeks... (to?) look for symptoms such as a warm place on your arm or leg, trouble breathing, headaches, and chest pain.

Reporting live in starkville, rhea thornton wtva 9 news.

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