NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Riverside Health System said with a recent increase in available COVID-19 vaccine doses, it has been able to vaccinate thousands of people every day. That includes its 100,000th vaccine dose administered Monday.
Vice President and Chief of Pharmacy Cindy Williams said pulling off this vaccination effort has been no easy task. She said Riverside finally is reaching an efficient point in its vaccinations.
"Late January, early February, it was very lean in as far as getting vaccines," Williams said. "The 100,000 doses include first and second doses and what a great accomplishment. It really was a team effort and a lot of man hours."
Williams explained Riverside has been vaccinating since Dec. 15 and staff members are proud they have come this far in just a matter of months. With Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson recently ramping up supplies, she said it's been easier to vaccinate more people per day.
Now, Williams said the health system is on its way towards moving into Phase 1c.
"For the Peninsula, based on what we're seeing, obviously the governor and the department of health will make that determination, but I think it's going to be in the next two weeks," Williams explained.
Although there still is a long way to go with Phase 1b, she said health care groups are working together to expand resources available to people in Hampton Roads. Riverside Health is part of the initiative called "Operation Vaccinate the Peninsula" to push the vaccination efforts forward.
"We're looking at how we can increase our capacity at those larger events as well as the smaller, targeted vaccine clinics," Williams said.
Williams said after getting off a morning phone call with the Virginia Department of Health, it seems like the Peninsula could be moving into Phase 1b sometime during April.