Two physicians, a respiratory therapist and an emergency nurse received the first COVID-19 vaccines at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian on Wednesday.

The hospital received its first vaccine allotment Wednesday morning, and vaccinations began at 1:30 p.m., according to Dr. Fred Duggan, Rush Health Systems chief medical officer.

“We’ve been…really at the epicenter of this for almost nine to ten months,” Duggan said, “and to finally see something that may make a break in this is really exciting.”

Dr. Walt Willis, medical director of Rush Critical Access Hospitals and Primary Care Clinics, Chief of the Emergency Department Dr. Patrick Kirkland, ER nurse Stephanie Dunlap and respiratory therapist Mike Mayfield were the first four recipients.

Willis, one the recipients, said the benefit of COVID-19 immunization for health care workers is “invaluable” and that it is a “gamechanger for our peace of mind.”

“My fellow health care workers and myself have waited and hoped and prayed for a protective vaccine for COVID-19,” Willis said. “Our prayers have been answered. Our wait is over.”

The health system received 500 doses of the vaccine developed by Moderna, a biotechnology company. Some of the vaccines in the allotment will go to Rush Foundation Hospital, and some will go to Rush Health System’s critical access hospitals.

Duggan said it will take some time for the health system to give out all 500 doses.

Rush will first give doses to frontline workers, who have the highest risk of being exposed to COVID-19. The health system will then vaccinate other employees, prioritizing those with higher risks of exposure and in certain jobs.

Employee health coordinator Jessie Upchurch coordinated the vaccinations given out at Rush on Wednesday. She also vaccinated staff members.

“It was an exciting moment to finally have them here and available for our staff,” she said.

Mississippi is currently in Phase 1a of its vaccine distribution plan, which will give vaccines to health care workers and long-term care facility residents and staff.

Dr. Paul Byers, the state epidemiologist, said that Mississippi received an initial allotment of 25,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. 12,600 of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were distributed to five major health systems in the state, and the remaining vaccines in the allotment will go to long-term care facilities.

Mississippi has also received 50,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said that this week, Moderna vaccines are being sent to all hospitals in Mississippi, except for those that received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. These hospitals receiving the Moderna vaccine will be vaccinating staff over the next couple of weeks, according to Dobbs.

Moderna doses will start being given to health care workers who work outside hospitals the first week of January.

Increasing COVID-19 numbers

Mississippi has seen increased COVID-19 case numbers in recent weeks. The state reported a record number of new COVID-19 related deaths on Tuesday.

In a Zoom call with Meridian leaders on Dec. 18, Dobbs said he anticipates a surge of COVID-19 cases going through the holidays.

He urged caution during holiday gatherings.

“When you’re sitting with your family members who may be coming from out of town and they seem healthy and they seem fine, it doesn’t mean they’re not spreading COVID all over your room,” he said.

The state surpassed 200,000 total cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Mississippi reported 2,634 new cases and 43 new COVID-19 related deaths on Wednesday, bringing the state’s totals to 200,325 cases and 4,533 deaths.

Lauderdale County reported 71 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the county’s total to 4,607 cases. The county reported three new deaths, which occurred between Oct. 30 and Dec. 22. A total of 168 deaths have been reported in the county.

Clarke County reported eight new cases and two new deaths, bringing the county’s totals to 1,135 cases and 57 deaths. One of the new deaths occurred between Oct. 30 and Dec. 22, and the other death was identified from death certificate reports and occurred between Dec. 4 and 17.

COVID-19 case and death numbers for several local counties are listed below.

Newton County: 29 new cases; 1,491 total cases since March. No new deaths; 32 total deaths since March.

Kemper County: six new cases; 636 total cases. No new deaths; 19 total deaths.

Neshoba County: 42 new cases; 2,829 total cases. No new deaths; 134 total deaths since March.

MSDH presumes 154,669 people have recovered from COVID-19. The department also reported that there are 238 ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term-care facilities.