Bladen County Hospital employees are first in the region to receive the COVID-19 vaccine

Bladen Co. Hospital medical director receives one of first COVID-19 vaccines in the region

By WECT Staff | December 16, 2020 at 8:16 PM EST - Updated December 16 at 9:44 PM

BLADEN COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The first doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine were given to healthcare workers in Bladen County Hospital Wednesday morning. Bladen County Hospital got their shipment late last night.

Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Vicki Lanier, Medical Director at Bladen County Hospital Emergency Services, got one of Southeastern North Carolina’s first vaccines.

“I took it about 30 minutes ago and I haven’t had any problems,” Lanier told WECT’s reporter. “There haven’t been any major problems prior to today,” she added.

The doses must be kept in special freezers. The Center for Disease Control says it’s necessary to maintain the required freezing temperature because of how the vaccine was created.

Thursday, Novant Health and New Hanover Regional Medical Center will receive their first shipments of the vaccine and will begin giving it to staff as soon as possible.