ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Orange Park Medical Center on Wednesday started administering the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to health care workers and employees.
OPMC first began vaccinating its doctors and nurses on the front lines in December. Over the last few weeks, the hospital has continued vaccinating thousands of health care workers.
Inside the vaccine clinic at OPMC, anesthesiologist Dr. John Zapp rolled up one of his sleeves Wednesday morning to get his second shot after getting his first shot roughly four weeks ago.
“I had no reaction to the first dose. I have no anticipation there will be any issues with this dose, and so I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s a good thing,” Zapp said. “I think it’s great. The vaccine came in record speed time. It was all good, and we got it now in less than a year, and I think we’re getting ahead of the game.”
Zapp is one of hundreds of health care workers and employees at OPMC who will get their second dose this week.
Margaret Refour, assistant chief nursing officer at OPMC, plans to get her second shot on Friday.
“It’s super exciting. I’ve had some family members that have had COVID, so I know the impact and how it impacts the body,” Refour said. “It’s hard on the body. It’s hard on the mental status, so if I can do my part to decrease that spread, I’m excited to be able to do that.”
When the vaccine is more widely available, Refour is encouraging others to do their part.
“This disease, it will take you hostage, and we don’t want that,” she said.
After employees at OPMC received their second dose of the vaccine on Wednesday, they were taken into a room where they had to wait about 15 minutes to make sure they did not have any reaction to the vaccine. Over the next few days, the hospital will continue giving the second dose of the vaccine to its employees.
The second doses being administered at OPMC are not for the public -- just for employees of the hospital and health care workers who received the first dose there.