Mary Washington Healthcare says they will receive an allocation of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for use in the Fredericksburg region. MWHC began providing the region’s first Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Monday, March 8.
“We are excited to have another vaccine receive an emergency use authorization from the FDA, and to be able to vaccinate more members of our community,” said Michael McDermott, Chief Executive Officer for Mary Washington Healthcare. “It is our mission to improve the health of the people in our region. Participating in the health department’s vaccination efforts is preventing hundreds—maybe thousands—of hospitalizations from COVID-19.”
Since December, MWHC administered both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines supporting the efforts of the Rappahannock Area Health District in vaccinating the Commonwealth’s Phases 1a and 1b vaccination priority groups.
Johnson & Johnson received emergency use authorization for their vaccine last week. The vaccine is administered through a single dose, unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines which require two doses.
“All of these vaccines are equally effective against preventing hospitalization and death from COVID-19, which is fantastic news. If you are not yet vaccinated and have an opportunity to receive one of these approved vaccines, the best decision you can make for your health is to get vaccinated with any of these approved vaccines as soon as possible. The faster we can vaccinate our community, the faster we can prevent the continued spread of COVID-19,” says Dr. McDermott. “Having options for our community and increasing supply to our region is the only way to get ahead of the spread of the virus and stop hospitalizations and death from COVID-19.”
MWHC has partnered with the Rappahannock Health District to administer vaccines to the Fredericksburg region. Community members must register with the Virginia Health Department’s state-wide vaccine system at the website vaccinate.vdh.gov to receive an invitation for the vaccine.
