COVID vaccines received, administered

The COVID-19 vaccine has come to Boulder City and the hospital has already started giving out doses.

“Boulder City Hospital began administering the Moderna two-part COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, December 21, 2020,” said Director of Marketing and Community Engagement Victoria George in an emailed statement. “Dr. William Z. Harrington, MD, emergency medicine physician, and Thomas Maher, CEO … were first in line to receive the Moderna vaccine administered by Andre Pastian, chief nursing officer.”

The hospital received 100 units of the vaccine and plans to follow federal and state plans to give it to long-term care residents and staff first.

“The hospital will place vaccine orders on an ongoing basis to meet the needs of hospital personnel including emergency room staff, laboratory, pharmacy, outpatient providers, frontline health care workers and the Boulder City Fire Department and Boulder City Police Department,” said George.

Maher said he expects 60 percent of the current staff members to get the vaccine.

CVS Health also began the process of administering vaccines in Nevada’s long-term care facilities this week, according to a news release.

The Southern Nevada State Veterans’ Home in Boulder City is one of the 250 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities to receive vaccines through the program.

“The Southern Nevada State Veterans’ Home … is scheduled for vaccines the middle of next week,” said Julie Dudley, communications director for the Nevada Department of Veterans Services. “We are not planning to release the date or time in advance as we were advised not to do so last week by vaccine transport/distribution authorities.”

The general public will have to wait a little longer to access the medicine.

Maher said those doses are based on “manufacturer availability,” and the hospital is anticipating them to be available in May or June.

He said the facility “will prioritize those with increased risk for severe illness” or underlying health issues as well as those older than 65 ahead of other adults.

The Moderna vaccine was 94.1 percent effective against COVID-19 and 100 percent against severe COVID-19 during its trials. It is one of two available throughout the country. The other is from Pfizer. Both vaccines require two doses, administered three to four weeks apart, to be fully effective.

Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.