Boise, ID, December 18, 2020 – Primary Health Medical Group received its first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week and began vaccinating staff and providers this morning.
Dr. David Peterman, pediatrician and CEO, shared his excitement regarding this development. “Over the past nine months, we have been under extraordinary pressure to treat our patients and keep our staff safe. Our teams have administered more than 75,000 COVID-19 tests, largely on symptomatic patients. At times, we’ve had to close clinics because too many staff are out sick or were exposed to COVID-19 in the community. Today we are incredibly excited to have received vaccine so we can begin the process of protecting our staff and providers. There is such a sense of optimism and hope, and we appreciate the kind words from those outside health care who support us. I’ve never seen so many teary eyes as when I tell someone the vaccine is here, it’s ready. You can’t see it, but I have an enormous smile on my face. Today is an exciting day.”
Sharra Crawford, LPN, has cared for patients at Primary Health for 22 years and was the first employee to receive the vaccine this morning. She described the experience as quick and painless. “The COVID-19 vaccine is one of the first things to really give me hope this year. I’ve worked throughout the pandemic so I haven’t been able to be around my parents without a mask, and with it being so widespread in the Valley, I’m not going inside their home at all right now. I can’t wait to be able to hug them safely and not have to worry about whether I might harm them. For anyone unsure about the vaccine, I would say educate yourself, and when you’re ready and comfortable with the decision, that’s when you should get it.”
Primary Health plans to offer vaccine to other health care workers, essential workers and the general public, based on priority lists outlined by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and vaccine availability. The dates when vaccine may be made available to these groups have not yet been announced, and Primary Health will reach out directly to each group when scheduling is available. Updates will also be published to PrimaryHealth.com.