Los Angeles LGBT Center rolls out COVID-19 vaccine to frontline workers
The Los Angeles LGBT Center has administered the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to its frontline workers as part of the Phase 1 of the vaccine rollout in LA.
This is the first batch of the vaccine to they will be rolling out, and will cover the Health Services staff members and those who support the center’s various health care sites.
The center’s Health Services Quality Coordinator Keith Leach was the first employee of the center to receive the vaccine. Leach told Los Angeles Blade that he felt “great and happy.”
COVID-19 vaccine for the LGBT center
The center is following the requirements set out by the LA Department of Public Health. They received 400 total vaccine doses as their first batch.
After getting deep freeze units to store the vaccine, the center was approved as a vaccine distribution site. The center presently employs over 800 staff members and has several clinic operations.
Lorri Jean, the Chief Executive Officer of the Center, told the Blade that they have “the capacity to store 100,000 doses. But, we have no idea how many doses we will receive.”
Center Health Services Co-Director Dr. Ward Carpenter said, “Since the pandemic began, our dedicated frontline workers helped to keep our Center open for those in our community who rely on us.”
“This vaccine will help us in that fight,” Carpenter said, who was the one who administered the first dose to Leach.
“I’m extremely hopeful that we are on the path to end the pandemic. As a Black man living in America, I have seen my community disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” Leach said.
Details about the COVID-19 vaccine
According to health professionals, there’s no live virus in the vaccine and those receiving it can’t get COVID-19 from the vaccine.
Those who will get the vaccine will experience a sore arm, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pains, and body chills. These will last two days on the average.
What’s more, the initial dose of the vaccine won’t provide full protection, which is why the second dose needs to be given 28 days after.
There is no research yet on the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing the asymptomatic spreading of COVID-19.
That’s why everyone should still maintain health protocols, like social distancing, wear face coverings, and practice frequent hand washing.
Protecting healthcare frontliners first
Darrel Cummings, the Center’s Chief of Staff, said, “Vaccines were delivered to us for the purposes of vaccinating healthcare workers only.”
“Should there be any leftover doses, we are required to return those to public health for use by other healthcare organizations,” Cumming added.
clarifying that they are a distribution site and not a storage site, he said, “We cannot choose to provide them to others who do not work in our healthcare programs.”
Jean explained to the Blade that they have 400 frontline staff and 355 employees in health services. However, according to the authorities, all staff– including security and maintenance– should be vaccinated.