ICHS receives first delivery of COVID-19 vaccines

December 23, 2020

On Dec. 23, International Community Health Services (ICHS) was among the first of the area’s health centers to receive doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and begin vaccinating frontline health workers.

Reactions were jubilant, as staff saw the end of a challenging year and the nation’s largest health crisis, come into sight.

“The shot has no pain at all for me,” said Ping Yang, acupuncturist, first to be delivered the vaccine at the International District Clinic. “At last, I don’t have to worry because I’m seeing patients every time and no one knows who is carrying what. The vaccine is good for me, my family, my community and hopefully I can visit my parents. They are 97 years old."

"Community members can be confident that the vaccine is safe and that it works," said Dr. Asqual Getaneh, ICHS chief medical officer.

Asqual Getaneh, MD, MPH

I enthusiastically rolled up my sleeve to be vaccinated and urge everyone to do the same. It is the best way to look out for yourself, your family and your community. I will now be able to spend Christmas with my 89-year-old father with additional protection and without great anxiety. This is how we stop people from dying and return to normal life.

Asqual Getaneh, MD, MPH

The vials of the Moderna vaccine are a milestone in ending the pandemic. Initial supplies will be limited and given to groups at highest risk, such as health care workers and people in long-term care facilities, said Getaneh. The next priority groups will be essential workers with higher risk of exposure, adults with underlying health conditions and adults 65 years and older. Eventually there will be enough for everyone who wants a vaccination. She urged patience, as well as offered a reminder there will still be a need to wear a mask, maintain distancing and practice good hygiene for some time.

In February 2020, ICHS was the first community health center in the nation to see a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. As a result, ICHS has helped set best practices guiding the response of the nation’s nearly 1,400 federally qualified health centers, which collectively serve 30 million people, most of them low income, immigrants and refugees.