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Nursing homes finding hope as FDA moves closer to approving COVID-19 vaccine

ROSWELL, Ga. — Health care workers across the country are getting anxious as the Food and Drug Administration is one step closer to approving the first vaccine to combat COVID-19.

A U.S. government advisory panel endorsed widespread use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine Thursday.

Shots could begin within days, depending on how quickly the Food and Drug Administration signs off, as expected, on the expert committee’s recommendation.

Channel 2′s Tom Regan went to a Roswell nursing home where management said it was an exciting day for them.

Residents said they were thrilled to hear that they could soon be getting a vaccine that will allow them to embrace their loved ones again.

We have all seen the heart wrenching images of window-side visits at nursing homes of families unable to physically unite with loved ones.

“Our residents have been locked down basically since the beginning of March, and haven’t been able to visit their families much,” said Dianne Patterson, administrator with Cypress Skilled Nursing Homes. “It would be wonderful when we get the vaccine for them to be able to hug their kids and see their grandkids again.”

Now, that precious day is nearing...

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An advisory panel is now endorsing widespread use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine after reviewing data and hearing from drug company researchers.

“We performed an interim analysis of 94 case individuals without prior infection and observed efficacy of 95.7%,” said Pfizer Senior Vice President Dr. William Gruber. “Amongst the 44,000 subjects we saw no serious allergic reactions to the vaccine.”

With the panel’s thumbs-up, the country is just one step away from an epic vaccination campaign against an outbreak that has killed close to 300,000 Americans.

All that remains is FDA approval.

“If it’s approved today, it wouldn’t surprise me for us to be shoring up our plans sometime next week,” Patterson said.

She told Regan that the company she works for has nine nursing homes in Georgia with about 1000 residents.

She said CVS will come administer shots to residents and staff.

“They will come out and give the first shots to the residents and we do half our staff, and then they will come back for them to get the second shot, and when they come back the second time the other half our of staff will get their shot,” Patterson said.

She said the staggered vaccination plan will ensure sufficient staff if some are sidelined from an adverse reaction.

Ashley Nealy said she received the vaccine during the final clinical trial and the side effects were minor.

“It’s good to see all the hard work of people participating in the trial, and the people who made the vaccine, has paid off,” Nealy said.

Patterson said her nursing home residents are eager to get their shots.

“They are delighted it’s gone as quickly as it has and that they are going to be the first in line,” Patterson said. “You know being able to actually hug their daughter or their son or grandchild.”

Patterson told Regan she’s sure there will be some logistical hiccups as the first shipments of vaccine arrive at nursing homes and medical centers, but she hopes to be able to throw open the doors to families, sometime in mid-January or early February.