Celebrating a pivotal moment in the COVID-19 pandemic, Northwestern Medical Center delivered the first doses of hope this morning along with the first vaccinations administered in our community.

Dr. Marc Kutler, an Emergency Department provider, was among the first to be vaccinated early Wednesday morning.

“I feel blessed,” he said. “I feel very fortunate about getting the vaccine. I’ve been waiting for this day to come. It’s the beginning of turning things around.”

NMC joined Vermont’s other hospitals in rolling out COVID-19 vaccination for specific healthcare workers on Wednesday, December 16.  Pictured is Heather Tremblay, an Emergency Department Nurse, receiving the first of the two required doses of the Pfizer vaccine from Courtney Leduc, RN.

This initial effort represents the start of Phase 1A of vaccine distribution across the country. The first week of Phase1A is focused on the staff of Emergency Departments and Intensive Care Units as well as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. Each of Vermont’s hospitals has a specific allocation of vaccine with guidelines for who is eligible in each week of Phase1. As the vaccine becomes more available in the coming weeks and months, there will be additional phases to ensure that all who want to receive a vaccination are able to do so.

“It is exciting to begin the vaccination process,” said John Minadeo, MD, NMC’s Chief Medical Quality Officer.  “We appreciate everyone’s flexibility and patience as we get started. At the same time, we cannot relax precautions. It will take months to vaccinate everyone, so the importance of mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing, and talking to your healthcare provider about any symptoms remains vital. We have come this far, we need to keep going.”

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine and process, please visit the Vermont Department of Health website at: https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/vaccine/about-covid-19-vaccines-vermont