Coronavirus

Pfizer vaccine shortage disheartens assisted living facilities

Ohio – The Ohio Department of Health says Ohio will receive 43 percent fewer doses of the new Pfizer vaccine next week than expected.

Ohio is just one of many states across the nation that are receiving less covid-19 vaccines than originally planned.

Governor Mike DeWine said this decrease shouldn’t slow down the vaccination process in nursing homes. Yet, Donna Mcadams, the manager of Hearth and Home of Vandalia Assisted Living says it will affect assisted living facilities.

On Thursday, Mcadams was told by CVS she had 24 hours to call her residents’ families to get everyone registered for Pfizer vaccinations on Monday. She says that changed last night.

“ 8 o’clock last night we received a call that we were not receiving the vaccine. To have to call everyone back today and tell them that we have to wait it was really hard,” Mcadams said.

There’s still no clear reason why this shortage is happening.

In a statement, the Ohio department of health’s press secretary, says the state was expecting 123,000 doses this week. instead, only 70,200 will be delivered which is a 43 percent decrease.

In a joint press conference with Governor Mike DeWine U.S. Surgeon General, Jerome Adams said that the newly authorized Moderna vaccine should make up for the Pfizer vaccine’s delay.

“We anticipate we can have every senior and every nursing home worker vaccinated by the end of 2020,” Adams said.

Yet, Mcadams said her assisted living facility is not expecting vaccines until the beginning of next year.

The Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association’s spokeswoman, Lisa Henderson says that hospitals in the region were not shocked by this, and have anticipated these changes.

“This has been a rapidly evolving and changing situation it changes day to day and hour to hour,” Henderson said.

Meanwhile, Mcadams said some of her residents aren’t expected to live past next Christmas and are assisted living restless for change.

“It’s tough it’s really hard we’ve been quarantined since march it’s horrible. My staff and the residence are very frustrated

In a statement, Pfizer explained that they haven’t had issues with the production or shipment of their new covid-19 vaccine, so there’s still a lot of unanswered questions as to why this shortage has occurred.

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