Inova Fairfax Hospital begins COVID vaccinations for staff

Nurse Meg Sourbeer gets the first COVID vaccine at Inova Fairfax Hospital. [WJLA]

Inova Fairfax Hospital received its first doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer Dec. 15 and immediately began training nurses and pharmacists who volunteered to inoculate their coworkers, WJLA/ABC7 News reports. 

Meg Sourbeer, a neonatal intensive care nurse and 40-year veteran at Fairfax Hospital, received the first dose. “To me, it seems like the light at the end of the tunnel. We have a long way to go but it’s a start,” she told ABC7 reporter Victoria Sanchez.

According to the Washington Business Journal, Inova plans to vaccinate all 20,000 staff members as soon as it gets enough vials. About 6,000 employees are signed up to receive a vaccine during the first phase.

The Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington is planning to vaccinate 1,950 people by Dec. 19, WBJ states. 

Related story: Virginia healthcare workers start getting COVID vaccines 

The Virginia Hospital Center purchased a $14,500 ultracold refrigerator a few months ago in anticipation of receiving the Pfizer vaccine, which has to be stored at -80 degrees Celsius. The Moderna vaccine, which is expected to be rolled out imminently, has different storage requirements.