Children’s Hospital vaccinates frontline workers

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Children’s Hospital has joined the ranks in vaccinating frontline workers: More than 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were delivered here Thursday, and more are on the way.

While children aren’t as likely to develop a severe case of COVID-19, it can still happen.

“Yes, I have cared for a few COVID patients we’ve had a few COVID patients who had to be into baited,” said Sandie Khanthadifay, a respiratory therapist at Children’s Hospital.

Sandie is a respiratory therapist at children’s and knows too well what COVID-19 can do to a child who’s at risk. This shot will make sure she’s protecting her patients and loved ones.

“That’s a concern when I go and take care of these patients because I want to help the patients but at the same time I don’t wanna take it home and give it to my family and my loved ones,” said Sandie.

“We’ve been fighting this COVID for 10 months and now we can provide a little more safety because we have a vaccine that is highly effective against this virus,” said Chris Maloney, emergency care physician.

These vaccinations won’t only protect children but make sure the staff who are more at risk of COIVD can show up to work and provide lifesaving care.

“We have the specialists if you need to see a specialist you come to this area if our staff are sick we can’t do that and so we need to protect them as early as possible,” said Maloney.

12-15% percent of all COVID-19 cases have been found in people younger than age 18. More alarming is MISC-multi inflammatory syndrome of childhood, a complication from COVID-19 found in children.

“It’s a vasculitis and it affects the vessels and it affects most organs including the heart and we can have heart failure and the patients may need to go on a heart-lung machine,” said Maloney.

Vaccinating workers means less COVID-19 in hospitals and more protection to children.

Dr. Maloney says by making sure hospital staff stay healthy it means sick children in Nebraska can stay in-state instead of having to go through the stressful and difficult process of finding a different children’s hospital.

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