GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Mercy Health and Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, which together comprise the Michigan region of Trinity Health, have taken delivery of the first shipment of the FDA-Approved Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at four of its hospitals.
St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, and Mercy Health Saint Mary's in Grand Rapids have each received 975 doses, with Mercy Health Muskegon receiving 1,950 doses, Thursday.
The vaccines are being administered on a voluntary basis to health care personnel who meet the CDC-defined criteria of direct patient care to COVID-19 patients, including those working in the COVID units, Intensive Care Unit, and Emergency Department.
Employees who work in those departments are being given the opportunity to self-register and make an appointment to obtain the vaccine.
"I am amazed and deeply grateful to the colleagues across our health system who have worked tirelessly to operationalize the vaccine distribution at our hospitals," said Dr. Rosalie Tocco-Bradley, chief clinical officer, Trinity Health Michigan. "We will continue to vaccinate as many employees as possible each week. We are confident in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and strongly encourage everyone ages 16 and older to be vaccinated as the vaccine becomes more widely available."
The health system expects to continue to receive weekly shipments of both the Pfizer and the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine, once it becomes available.
St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea, St. Joseph Mercy Livingston and St. Mary Mercy Livonia should receive their first shipments next week.
All Trinity Health Michigan hospitals have ultra-cold freezers and are prepared to receive, store and distribute COVID-19 vaccines.
For up-to-date information about COVID-19 and the vaccine, please visit the following sites:
St. Joe's - https://www.stjoeshealth.org/vaccine
Mercy Health - https://www.mercyhealth.com/vaccine
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