AdventHealth receives first shipment of COVID vaccines: ‘A watershed moment’ to help stop the virus

Frontline health care workers begin vaccinations December 16 at AdventHealth Orlando, Celebration

From AdventHealth

AdventHealth received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines Tuesday morning and will begin inoculating frontline team members at its Orlando and Celebration campuses Wednesday morning.

Dr. Neil Finkler, Chief Medical Officer at AdventHealth

“We are convinced that this is a safe and effective vaccine,” said Dr. Neil Finkler, chief medical officer at AdventHealth hospitals in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. “This is a watershed moment. We will all remember where we were when this COVID-19 vaccine was released.”

With the recent Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) granted by the FDA for the Pfizer vaccine, AdventHealth received its initial run of up to 20,000 inoculations. They were one of five hospitals in Florida to receive the first shipment of these vaccines.

In addition to vaccinating its own frontline team members, AdventHealth will distribute vaccines to other local health care systems including Nemours Children’s Health System and Orlando Health.

Thousands of AdventHealth team members who are on the frontline of the COVID pandemic, including nutritional services, environmental services, respiratory therapists, nurses and physicians, are signed up to receive their vaccine this week.

“We are so thrilled and excited about the vaccine,” said Linnette Johnson, chief nursing officer of AdventHealth hospitals in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. “It is the best way to keep our colleagues and our loved ones well. There is nothing more frustrating than going to school for a long time to save lives and not being able to do that. This vaccine can be a gamechanger.”