Dr. Cara Christ, Arizona health care workers receive coronavirus vaccine
Dec 16, 2020, 5:21 PM | Updated: 10:01 pm
PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ and 10 health care workers were among the first Arizonans to receive the coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday.
The group was vaccinated at the Arizona State Fairgrounds, which will be one of several vaccination sites in the Valley when distribution ramps up later this week.
“Tens of thousands of front line workers are set to receive the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days and a group of them are with us today to receive the vaccine and say why they are rolling up their sleeve,” Christ said a press conference.
Public health guidelines outline that health care workers and those in long-term care facilities will be among the first to receive the vaccine.
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“I am getting the vaccine to help protect myself and my family, my coworkers at Valleywise Health, my patients and to help us get back to living lives hugging each other and loving each other,” Vallewise Health Nurse Regina Villa said before getting the vaccine.
From there, law enforcement, teachers, adults of 65 and older and those with high-risk medical conditions will be among the next groups to receive the vaccine.
The first doses of the coronavirus vaccine arrived in the state on Monday and vaccinations started on Tuesday. A World War II veteran and health care workers at the Phoenix VA were among the first to receive the vaccine.
Arizona is expected to receive more than 383,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year, but it will likely be months before Arizonans who aren’t in essential jobs or at high risk for complications if they get the virus can get vaccinated.
“When your place in line arrives, I urge you to get vaccinated,” Christ said. “These vaccines are a way for us to return to normal lives free from COVID-19.”
The health care workers who received the vaccine Wednesday included:
- Villa, a nurse manager at on one of the COVID-19 units at Valleywise Health and has been with the hospital for 17 years.
- Mesa Fire Department Captain Jeff Stieber, who has been involved with Mesa’s COVID-19 testing program that screens city employees for the virus. Stieber is a 27-year veteran of the Mesa Fire Medical Department.
- Phoenix Fire Department Captain Kenny Overton, a 15-year veteran of the department.
- Valleywise Health Surgeon Dr. Ross Goldberg, who covers elective and emergent general surgeries at the hospital.
- Certified Nursing Assistant Olubunmi Onadeko, a caregiver for Sparrow Staffing Services and is currently a nursing student.
- Nurse Eddy de la Torre, who works at the Banner University Medical Center and is currently enrolled in a concurrent program receiving an associate degree in nursing from Phoenix College and a Baccalaureate in Science of Nursing from Northern Arizona University.
- Nurse Allison McCabe, who works with COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine at Wellsprings Therapy Center, a skilled nursing facility.
- Arizona National Guard Medic Will Smith, who works as a patient care technician at Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center.
- Dr. Edmond Baker, the medical director for Equality Health.
The arrival of the first coronavirus vaccines come as infections and hospitalizations continue to surge in the state.
On Wednesday, state health officials reported 4,848 new coronavirus cases and 108 additional deaths, bringing the documented totals to 429,219 COVID-19 infections and 7,530 fatalities.
Statewide, 45% of all inpatient beds and 51% of all ICU beds were filled Tuesday with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients, rates that have been climbing steadily for about two months. The inpatient bed percentage matched the pandemic high from July 13.
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