CAY HILL: Staff of the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) were among the first recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, February 22, 2021 at the Auxiliary Care Facility (ACF) located across SMMC.
SMMC’s vaccination administration plan, created and managed by the Hygiene and Infection Control Department, sees six (6) staff members being vaccinated in intervals of thirty (30) minutes. The first group to be vaccinated consisted of SMMC’s Medical Director and Outbreak Management Team Chairman Dr. Felix Holiday, Anesthesiologist Dr. Yelena George, Emergency Room Physician Dr. Jane Niamut, Jr Manager Patient Care Nurse Christina Jacobs, ER Supervisor Nurse Bert Weewee and Infection Control Supervisor Nurse Glenda Severin. In addition to vaccinating their staff, SMMC has also agreed to vaccinate staff from the Ambulance Department and St. Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS) and is assisted by AMI Expeditionary Healthcare.
The process of staff being vaccinated sees staff pre-register by filling out the mandatory Collective Prevention Services (CPS) consent form and a Medical History form before their appointment. On the day of their appointment, staff go to the ACF 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment time to have their temperature taken and have the information on both forms verified. Once this is completed, the staff member goes to the waiting room where the process is explained to them once more.
When all six staff of the group have arrived and have been explained the process, the first in line goes into the inoculation room where the vaccine is administered by a Nurse. After the vaccine has been administered, the staff member is then monitored for fifteen (15) minutes by another Nurse. If the staff member has a history of anaphylaxis or fainting after vaccinations, they are monitored for a longer period. During monitoring a Physician is also present in case of any adverse reactions. After fifteen minutes have passed with no reaction, the staff member is then discharged by the Physician. The staff member is also given a date when they must return for their 2nd dose to render the vaccine 95% effective, which means the risk of getting severely ill after contracting COVID-19 is reduced to 5%.
“The process of getting vaccinated is one that requires logistics and precision and I applaud our team for the incredible job they did and the smooth operation that they put together in two weeks” remarked Dr. Holiday. “I received my first vaccination today and everything went smoothly and I feel great. I am once again encouraging everyone to get vaccinated! Vaccinations save lives and it could save yours!
SMMC thanks their staff, AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, Cay Hill Pharmacy, the Vaccination Management Team, CPS, the Government of St. Maarten, the Government of the Netherlands and the Police Force of St. Maarten for their contributions in making the vaccination administration a success. SMMC also encourages the public to sign up to receive the vaccine via https://bit.ly/3tOsJLa or using a form that can be collected at CPS at the Vineyard Building, the Division of Labor Affairs public service center in Simpson Bay or at the Government Administration Building.