ALL
ALL DAY
ALL DAY AS SHIPMENTS ARRIVED. LETS START WITH ALMIYA WHITE -- WHO HAS BEEN AT BAPTIST HOSPITAL
AND THE MEDICAL CENTER OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
DEJ -- IT'S A HISTORIC DAY FOR
ALL THREE OF OUR HOSPITAL
SYSTEMS HERE IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
BUT I WANT TO START OFF WITH THE
MEDICAL CENTER OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS. NOT ONLY DID THEY
RECEIVE THEIR FIRST SHIPMENT OF
PFIZER VACCINE BUT THEY ALSO
ADMISTERED THE FIRST
VACCINATION.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS --FOOTAGE
WE RECEIVED FROM THE MEDICAL
CENTER -- CHRISTY WRIGHT A
REGISTERED NURSE
REGISTERED NURSE
--
-- TAKING
-- TAKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE SHOT TO THE ARM. WRIGHT SAID SHE FEELS LIKE IT WAS HER
RESPONSIBILITY TO GET THE
VACCINE AFTER BOTH HER MOTHER
AND FATHER CONTRACTED THE VIRUS.
BAPTIST HOSPTIAL ALSO RECEIVED
ITS FIRST SHIPMENT OF THE PFIZER
VACCINE. IT CAME IN AROUND
9:40 THIS MORNING. 975 VACCINES
WERE STORED IN A WHITE BOX WITH
DRY ICE KEPT AT IT'S APPROPRIATE
TEMPERATURE. BRENDA JOHNSON
PHARMACY OPERATIONS MANAGER SAYS
HER TEAM IS THRILLED TO FINALLY
SEE THE GLIMMER OF HOPE AT THE
END OF THE TUNNEL.
SOT: YOU KNOW I THINK WE'RE
VERY EXCITED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF
THIS VACCINE. IT EMBODIES HOPE
FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. SO IT'S
REALLY EXCITING TO BE PART OF
THIS TIME.
THIS TIME.
TOMORROW
TOMORROW MORNING THEY WILL HOLD A VACCINE TRIAL RUN WITH FIVE PHYSICIANS WHO WORK DIRECTLY
WITH COVID-19 PATIENTS. THE
PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO TEST THE
WATERS AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING
RUNS SMOOTHLY MOVING FORWARD.
NOW -- BAPTIST WILL BEGIN
ADMINISTER THE VACCINE TO STAFF
MEMBERS OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
ONCE
ONCE WORKERS RECEIVE THAT VACCINE THEY'LL GET THIS CUTE LITTLE STICKER THAT SAYS I GOT
MY COVID VACCINE! FOR NOW LIVE
IN BEAUMONT. ALMIYA WHITE.
12NEWS.
SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT NOW THAT
THE FIRST ROUND OF VACCINES
HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO 110
PROVIDERS ACROSS THE STATE OF
TEXAS?
IT'S A QUESTION GOVERNOR GREG
ABBOTT ADDRESSED DURING A PRESS
CONFERENCE IN AUSTIN. GOV.
ABBOTT CALLED THE VACCINE A
"MONUMENTAL MEDICAL MIRACLE."
AS OF THURSDAY -- 224-THOUSAND
VACCINES HAVE ARRIVED IN TEXAS.
WITH THE MODERNA VACCINE
EXPECTED BY NEXT WEEK, HE SAID
THE STATE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE
MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE
VACCINATED BY THE END OF THE
MONTH. IN THE NEAR FUTURE-- THE
GOVERNOR SAYS THERE ARE PLANS TO
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PROVIDERS
WHO WILL RECEIVE AND CAN
ADMINISTER THE VACCINE.
WHEN WILL BE DELIVERING TO NOT
JUST HOSPITALS BUT HEALTH CARE
CENTERS, CLINICS, PHARMACIES,
FREE STANDING EMERGENCY ROOMS
URGENT CARE CENTERS, LONG TERM
HEALTH CARE FACILITIES WILL BE
RECEIVING THESE VACCINES LATER
THIS MONTH. AS WELL AS LOCAL
HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, STATE
HOSPITALS AND STATE SUPPORTED
LIVING CENTERS
ONE THING THAT THE GOVERNOR
SAYS WON'T BE IN OUR STATE'S
FUTURE--- ANY MORE SHUTDOWNS.
GOVERNOR ABBOTT MADE IT VERY
CLEARLY AT THIS AFTERNOON'S
PRESS CONFERENCE THAT HE PLANS
TO PUT SHUTDOWNS BEHIND US.
MAJOR STEPS FORWARD IN THE
FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19. BUT FOR
THE GENERAL PUBLIC -- WE'RE
STILL GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT
AWHILE BEFORE WE GET THE
VACCINE. WHILE YOU WAIT -- YOU
MIGHT WANT TO TAKE SOME TIME TO
BECOME FAMILIAR WITH WHAT'S
BEING OFFERED. 12NEWS REPORTER
KELSEY JOHNSON SPOKE WITH A
LOCAL DOCTOR -- WHO WANTS TO
ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS AND
CONCERNS.
LL INTRO IT COULD BE APRIL
BEFORE PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE
HEALTH INDUSTRY ARE ABLE TO GET
VACCINATED. I ASKED DOCTOR RAY
CALLAS SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING
WAYS YOU CAN START PREPARING
NOW. PKG FIRST QUESTION -- WHEN
THE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE TO THE
GENERAL PUBLIC,
GENERAL PUBLIC,
WHAT
WHAT DO
WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED TO DO? SOT: DR. CALLAS "RIGHT NOW THERE ARE ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF BATCHES.
YOU HAVE TO REALIZE WE ARE
TRYING TO GET TO HUNDREDS OF
MILLION OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE
UNITED STATES, BUT AS IT ROLLS
OUT, THE BEST THING TO DO IS
CONTACT YOUR PRIMARY CARE
PHYSICIAN, ALSO TALK TO YOUR
LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND AS
THINGS ROLL OUT, I PROMISE YOU
WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF
INFORMATION COMING OUT VIA RADIO
AND TELEVISION AS WE GET MORE
AND MORE VACCINATIONS
AVAILABLE." WHILE WE WAIT --
HOW CAN PEOPLE BEGIN TO PREPARE
FOR THE VACCINE NOW? SOT: DR.
CALLAS "I THINK TO IN ORDER TO
MAKE PEOPLE'S FEARS SUBSIDE, I
THINK THAT THE APPROPRIATE THING
TO DO IS TO LOOK FOR
PUBLICATIONS
PUBLICATIONS
AND
AND ACTUAL SCIENTIFIC DATA."
WELL--WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF TRUSTWORTHY SITES FOR RESEARCH? SOT: DR. CALLAS "I WOULD
RECOMMEND IF YOU LOOK AT ANY
CREDIBLE SCIENTIFIC LIKE IF YOU
GET SOMETHING FROM THE NEW
ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE OR
IF YOU GET SOMETHING FROM THE
AMERICAN
AMERICAN
COLLEGE
COLLEGE OF SURGEONS OR THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OR IF YOU LOOK AT THE CENTERS FOR
DISEASE CONTROL
. DEFINITELY LOOK INTO ALL THOSE
PLATFORMS. THE ONLY THING I WOULD
WOULD
TELL
TELL YOU,
TELL YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATE OF TEXAS WHATEVER THEY COME WITH BASED ON HEALTH
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WHOLE
STATE. THOSE WILL BE ANOTHER
AVENUE." DR CALLAS SAYS DO NOT
LOOK TO RANDOM POSTS ON SOCIAL
MEDIA. MAKE SURE YOU ARE READING
POSTS FROM YOUR LOCAL HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS AND DO NOT USE
WIKIPEDIA. LL TAG AT 6 DR
CALLAS IS ANSWER MORE
QUESTIONS. THESE ARE MORE
SPECIFIC ON WHAT TO EXPECT
AFTER YOU GET THE VACCINE.
KELSEY JOHNSON, 12NEWS.
ALL THE VACCINE NEWS COMES AS
SOUTHEAST TEXAS IS IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE DEADLIEST MONTH OF THE
PANDEMIC. DOCTOR PRAPHUL
JOSHI
WITH LAMAR UNIVERSITY SAYS BOTH
THE POSITIVITY RATE AND DEATH
RATE HAVE SPIKED OVER THE LAST
COUPLE WEEKS. DOCTOR JOSHI
SAYS THE RECENT SPIKE IN CASES
CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO
THANKSGIVING. OVER FOUR PERCENT
OF THE JEFFERSON COUNTY
POPULATION HAS NOW TESTED
POSITIVE FOR COVID. THE
MID-COUNTY AREA HAS SEEN THE
MOST CASES RECENTLY--SPECIFIC
ALLY NEDERLAND AND PORT ARTHUR.
"JUST WITHIN THE LAST THREE,
FOUR DAYS WE HAVE SEEN ABOUT 21
DEATHS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, SO
THIS IS THE HIGHEST WE HAVE SEEN
IN ANY GIVEN WEEK."
DOCTOR JOSHI URGES PEOPLE TO
DOCTOR JOSHI URGES PEOPLE TO
AVOID
AVOID MASS GATHERINGS AND PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING DURING CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS.
HE SAYS TYPE 2 DIABETES AND
OBESITY ARE ALSO TWO MAJOR RISK
FACTORS FOR COMING DOWN WITH THE
CORONAVIRUS. MOST OF THE
DEATHS IN OUR AREA HAVE BEEN
PEOPLE WITH UNDERLYING HEALTH
CONDITIONS OVER THE AGE OF 60.