MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Officials now say the first round of the two-part COVID-19 vaccine has been administered at all 214 nursing homes and long term care facilities.
Director of Professional Regulatory Affairs for the West Virginia Pharmacy Board and associate professor of pharmacy at WVU, Krista Capehart coordinated the effort. On MetroNews Talkline Capehart said it was a monumental effort, but one the medical community in the state was prepared to execute.
“It’s been a tremendous effort- team work, setting up the infrastructure and the framework to be able to do this,” West Virginia really is a close knit community.”
Under the West Virginia model, the two week wait period following authorization was used to energize and prepare the network of people to get the job done before some states have even started the process.
“From the time drug was first authorized it would be about two weeks before shots could be provided,” Capehart said,” We felt like we could use that time in a better manner if we used connections in the state and opened it up to all of our pharmacies.”
The numbers from statewide COVID czar Clay Marsh illustrate how important it is to get the elderly population vaccinated. The age group of the group of 70 years and older make up 77.5% of people who have died from COVID-19 and people over 75-years old are much more likely to die compared to the 18-39-year-old age group.
According to Capehart, the effort was one step at a time and one day at a time.
“It was really a giant puzzle, creating that infrastructure, creating the program,” Capehart said,” So, we matched up our long-term care facilities, in many cases with the pharmacies that were already providing their pharmacy day-to-day services with those facilities.
As this part of the vaccination plan is executed, Capehart says lessons are being learned about the wider vaccine roll out as phases continue.
“We collect the information on who needs to be vaccinated in additional phases and we provide the pharmacists with who they are vaccinating in their community.”
Next week, second doses will begin to be administered as plans continue to get the vaccine to all corners of the state.
“We’re partnering with our local health departments, we’re partnering with the hospitals in the state,” Capehart said,” It truly is one big teamwork exercise to ensure we can reach all the people of West Virginia as quickly as possible.”