USA Health employee COVID survey ends Dec. 2

USA Health is finalizing its plan for ordering the initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Please complete the survey related to your desire to receive the vaccine. Remember to answer both questions. The deadline for completing the survey is 11:59 pm on Wednesday, Dec. 2.

USA Health thanks you for your cooperation as we continue to make every effort to provide you with a safe environment while you provide our community the healthcare it needs.

USA Health will be the first health system in Mobile County to receive a COVID-19 vaccine once approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Alabama Department of Public Health chose USA Health as one of six pre-staging hospitals in Alabama based on storage capability, expected need for the vaccine and distribution capabilities.

As vaccine development for the COVID-19 global pandemic progressed in recent months, leaders within the region’s only academic health system took note of which trials showed the most promise and then planned accordingly.

USA Health purchased two freezers with the ability to maintain ultra-low temperatures. A vaccine in trials by Pfizer must be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius. If the drug rises to room temperature, it will deteriorate after five hours.

USA Health is playing an active role in planning for the statewide distribution of potential vaccines. Benjamin Estrada, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease specialist at USA Health in Mobile, was tapped to serve on an external partner committee established by the Alabama Department of Public Health to determine, among other things, the most effective way to roll out COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare staff and other essential personnel.