Disney employee, 33, brags on Facebook that she got a COVID vaccine – as the California hospital admits it gave doses to people who aren’t health professionals
- Riverside, California, woman, 33, wrote on Facebook that she was getting the COVID-19 vaccine
- The woman, a Disney employee, is not a primary health worker
- She wrote that she was able to receive a vaccine because of family ties in the hospital
- Her husband’s aunt is a ‘big deal’ at Redlands Community Hospital, she wrote
- The hospital said it was giving leftover doses of the vaccine to non-primary care workers
A Disneyland employee bragged on Facebook that she got the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, even though she’s not a primary care health worker, saying she got it because her husband’s aunt is a “ big deal ” at a local hospital .
The 33-year-old woman’s post from Riverside, California, featured a photo of her vaccination card from Redlands Community Hospital in nearby Redlands, California.
‘When I woke up this morning, I didn’t think I was going to get the COVID-19 vaccine today. But here we are. I’m so happy, ‘the Riverside woman wrote on her Facebook page on December 20.
“Science is actually my religion, so this was a big deal for me.”
A 33-year-old Disneyland employee wrote a Facebook post on Dec. 20 bragging that she had received the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, even though she is not a primary care health worker. The Disneyland resort can be seen in the above file photo in Anaheim, California
The unnamed woman bragged on Facebook that she got the coronavirus vaccine because her husband’s aunt is a “ big deal ” at Redlands Community Hospital in Redlands, California (seen in the file photo above)
The content of the post was reported by the Orange County Register, which did not name the woman.
When a Facebook friend asked her how to get the vaccine, as it is not yet available to the general public, she replied that her husband’s aunt is a ‘big deal’ with Redlands Community.
She also wrote that the hospital had leftover doses that would expire.
The hospital issued a statement explaining how the remaining doses were distributed, although it declined to say whether the woman was among those who received one of the injections.
“Redlands Community Hospital has managed its allocation of Pfizer vaccines to its primary care physicians, health professionals and support staff according to California Department of Public Health guidelines,” the statement said.
After doctors and employees who showed interest in the vaccine were administered, there were several doses left.
“Because the reconstituted Pfizer vaccine must be used or disposed of within hours, different doses were given to non-primary care health professionals so that valuable vaccine would not be thrown away.”
The hospital did not say exactly how many leftover doses were available after it began vaccinating front-line and support staff on Dec. 18.
The Pfizer vaccine is only effective when stored at a temperature of -94 degrees Fahrenheit.
If not administered shortly after thawing, it should be discarded.
Each vial of vaccine should contain five doses, although some have been shown to contain two extra doses.
The federal government wants hospitals to administer every available dose, including the leftover doses.
The hospital said it has administered the vaccine to non-primary care workers thanks to the doses left. The above image shows a vial of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
“ Given the public health emergency, the FDA advises that it is acceptable to use any full dose available (the sixth or possibly even a seventh) from each vial, pending resolution of the problem, ” the Food and Drug Administration said in a December 16 statement.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that primary care health professionals and support staff be given top priority in vaccine distribution.
Next in line to receive the vaccines during the initial phase of distribution are vulnerable populations, particularly those in nursing homes.
“Federal and state vaccine guidelines have prioritized our primary care health workers who have put their lives on the line to fight this virus from day one,” said a California Department of Public Health spokesman.
“We urge all health care providers to follow state guidelines on stages of vaccination, which have been established in consultation with experts and community leaders.”