After nearly a year of leading the community through the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, Chinese Hospital is proud to take part in the public health vaccination efforts and administer the COVID-19 vaccine for its community. The COVID-19 vaccine has been considered the best form of defense against the virus and will be the first major step towards economic recovery and return to normalcy.
In accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Chinese Hospital has provided initial vaccinations to its staff, physicians, and other high-risk healthcare workers in the Chinatown community, a two-dose process. As distribution recommendations continue to evolve, Chinese Hospital is beginning to vaccinate the broader community, starting with its most vulnerable patients ages 75 and older with pre-existing health conditions.
“Given how effective the COVID-19 vaccine is, we know everyone is eager and anxious to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Jian Zhang, Chinese Hospital CEO. “Because vaccine distribution has been logistically challenging for everyone, Chinese Hospital’s vaccine supply has been very limited. However, we will be able to vaccine more people as we receive more vaccines from local and state health authorities. Once that happens, Chinese Hospital will be ready to quickly begin vaccinating individuals ages 65 and older, followed by other groups as recommended.”
“Chinese Hospital has been here safeguarding the community since day 1 by delivering community education, offering access to testing, and providing care and treatment to all patients,” said Kitman Chan, Chinese Hospital Board of Trustees Chairman. “We want to assure the public that our focus now extends to making sure you have access to the vaccine when it is your turn. We ask for your cooperation and patience and in the meantime, please continue to wear your mask and practice social-distancing to protect yourself and your family during this concerning COVID-19 surge.”
To receive updates on the COVID-19 vaccine, please be sure to follow Chinese Hospital on Wechat (ID: ChineseHospital-SF) where we will communicate key vaccine updates. Additional information will also be available on our COVID-19 webpage (www.chinesehospital-sf.org/covid19-resources).