Margaret Mary Health To Administer First COVID-19 Vaccinations Friday

Phase one individuals include all healthcare workers, with MMH specifically serving those living in Ripley, Switzerland, Dearborn, Franklin, and Ohio counties.

(Batesville, Ind.) – Margaret Mary Health (MMH) has been working diligently with the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) over the last several weeks, preparing to administer phase one of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans upon approval of the vaccine.

Phase one individuals include all healthcare workers, with MMH specifically serving those living in Ripley, Switzerland, Dearborn, Franklin, and Ohio counties.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided emergency use authorization for prevention of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) last week. As a result, MMH will be receiving its first of several shipments of the vaccine from the ISDH today, Thursday, Dec. 17.

On Friday, December 18 MMH will begin administering the vaccine in Versailles at the Tyson Activity Center and Saturday, December 19, at the Batesville Fire Station. These clinic locations will operate from December 18 through January 23 by appointment only. At this time, due to the limited supply of the vaccine available, only those who have received a direct link from their employers can register for the vaccine. This includes hospital-based employees and long-term care staff. A medical ID will be required. The timeline for additional phases of vaccine administration, including the public, is yet to be determined.

“This disease has caused the death of more than 300,000 people across the United States, including members of our own community, and that number continues to grow. This is the moment I have been waiting for after nine long months of watching my frontline healthcare workers battle COVID-19. The beginning of the end of the pandemic is in sight.  The amount of research, teamwork and selfless passion for serving others that has gone into making this a reality is simply incredible,” said Tim Putnam, President & CEO, Margaret Mary Health. “My concern for what we may face in the next couple of months is higher than it has been since March. Pandemic fatigue combined with loved ones gathering for the holidays can easily lead to rampant infection and hospitalization rates, creating concern that access to care for COVID-19 could be more limited than at any time since the pandemic began. The idea that we can somehow reach the other side of the pandemic simply by letting COVID-19 spread through the community until herd immunity is reached is misguided unless people are willing to live in the current state for years to come or watch death rates dramatically climb. This vaccine provides a clear path for protecting those caring for COVID-19 patients and those in our community who are most at risk for becoming critically ill, and as medical experts have been saying for months, it is the fastest and most effective way to end this pandemic.  We are proud to have been selected as one of the very first healthcare systems in Indiana to administer the vaccine and are ready to serve our community and the broader region.”

MMH will continue to work closely with ISDH as more vaccines become available to ensure it is safely distributed to the most vulnerable in the community first and ultimately to anyone who is interested in receiving it.

Until the vaccine becomes widely available, it is important that community members continue to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.