Tennessee healthcare workers first in nation to receive H1N1 vaccine.
Article Type: Brief article
Subject: Influenza vaccines (Health aspects)
Health care industry (Management)
Pub Date: 12/22/2009
Publication: Name: Tennessee Nurse Publisher: Tennessee Nurses Association Audience: Academic Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Health care industry Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2009 Tennessee Nurses Association ISSN: 1055-3134
Issue: Date: Winter, 2009 Source Volume: 72 Source Issue: 4
Topic: Event Code: 200 Management dynamics Computer Subject: Company business management; Health care industry
Organization: Company Name: Le Bonheur Health Systems Inc.
Geographic: Geographic Scope: Tennessee; United States Geographic Code: 1U6TN Tennessee
Accession Number: 215196287
Full Text: Health care workers at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn., were the first in the nation to receive the H1N1 vaccine on Monday, Oct. 5. The hospital received the first doses of the nasal spray version of the vaccine and began administering them to employees.

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Holly Smith, who is the Patient Care Coordinator in the Infant Care Unit at LeBonheur and mother of two girls, became the first American to get a dose of swine flu vaccine in the national rollout that began in early October.

"I did this for my kids," Smith said. And, speaking of the infants she cares for, she added that since babies are not born with fully functioning immune systems, "it's real important for us to take that first step."

Others among the first to receive the vaccine at Le Bonheur were doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists who work in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Units. Pediatric and medicine-pediatric resident physicians and pediatric infectious disease attendings and fellows were also among the first group to be vaccinated. Le Bonheur Children's, which has been on the front lines of the epidemic since it began to surge across Southern states in late August, will receive more vaccinations and will continue to immunize health care workers.
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