BWMC gives its first virus vaccine

One of Anne Arundel County’s two hospitals administered its first coronavirus vaccine Wednesday, marking another milestone in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Kendra Ellison, director of women and children’s services at University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center, became the hospital’s first vaccinated employee Wednesday and one of many across the region to receive the first dose of the Pfizer- BioN Tech vaccine approved to inoculate against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

A registered nurse, Ellison said the pandemic affected every area of the hospital’s operations.

Her departments have seen COVID-19 patients requiring care beyond what hospital staff would normally give. But this vaccine adds a layer of protection on top of

the safety measures the public is already familiar with: hand washing, social distancing and mask-wearing.

“I would describe this as putting light in the tunnel,” Ellison said.

The vaccine doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. Because Maryland has a limited supply that will be directed to health care workers and long-term care facilities and requires two doses over several weeks, the vaccine won’t significantly change the trajectory of the pandemic through the end of the year.

Dr. Neel Vibhakar, chief medical officer at BWMC, cautioned the public to continue practicing the same safety measures deployed against the pandemic over the last 10 months.

“We know the vaccine is going to provide that hope past this winter,” he said. “But we still need to get through the winter. That’s why its going to be so critical for us to do what we’ve been doing and for the community do what they’ve been doing so we can get through this surge and allow vaccines to get into arms.”

The county’s two hospitals, BWMC and Anne Arundel Medical Center, have seen increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients following Thanksgiving, causing elected officials to worry about overflowing hospitals and stretching resources ahead of Christmas.

Analysis by Johns Hopkins University shows in an optimistic scenario, with moderate restrictions in place from local governments, the county could still need roughly 400 or more of its 640 beds for COVID-19 patients.

The two county hospitals were about 81% full Wednesday, according to county health data, well over the 70% occupancy the county has targeted for safe and efficient medical care.

Ellison received the vaccine alongside employees from respiratory therapy, critical care, labor and delivery and emergency departments of the hospital. Ellison, an African American woman, said she understands skepticism surrounding the vaccine, especially among marginalized populations who were victims of past harmful medical experiments.

But “COVID does not discriminate,” she said, and there are more damaging complications associated with getting the disease, making the vaccine a powerful tool in stopping the spread that has disproportionately affected the county’s Black and Hispanic population.

In Anne Arundel County, Black residents represent 27% of deaths from COVID-19 even though they only make up about 18% of the population, per census data. Residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino account for about 8% of county residents, but 19% of overall cases.

“Trust the science,” Ellison said. “Continue to mask up, continue hand hygiene, continue those practices that help people take care of themselves.”

Personally, Ellison said she’s grateful for the added peace of mind the vaccine will give her at home. Through the pandemic, she’s worried about catching the virus at work and bringing it home to her two sons and her husband.

“If I have an opportunity to protect them, I’m going to,” she said.