January 8, 2021 @ 5:00 p.m.
COVID-19 VACCINE ALERT

During the COVID-19 vaccination administration, we will email updates to all employees as more information becomes available. Please be alert to communications from your center managers, clinic administrators, site medical directors, department managers/leaders, and Employee Health, including emails, memos, newsletters, department huddles and/or cell phone text messages.
Vaccinations Begin at AltaMed

On Thursday, January 7, AltaMed began to vaccinate frontline and patient-facing staff at both the Anaheim and Corporate regional distribution centers.

We are now sending email invitations to staff for vaccination appointments on Friday, January 8 and Saturday, January 9 at the Anaheim vaccination site only. If you receive an email invitation, please schedule your appointment.

It is our goal to vaccinate all AltaMed employees and providers who want the COVID-19 vaccine. Please be patient as we work through the scheduling process.

Remember: If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine outside of AltaMed, please email proof (CDC vaccination card) to Employee Health for documentation purposes.
Questions & Answers

We are compiling the questions and answers from the COVID-19 Town Hall on Tuesday January 5, and will share them next week as part of the updated employee FAQs. Below are some of the more frequent questions asked and what employees should share prior to getting the vaccine.

Q: How long after recovering from COVID should you wait to get vaccinated?
A: We recommend waiting until after you are out of your isolation period.

Q: Will these vaccines protect against the new strain of COVID? 
A: At this point, we presume that they will continue to be as effective against these new strains. Studies are going on right now to answer that question and we should have more information by the end of January. Viruses mutate easily and given the extent of the disease across the world, more mutations are inevitable. The faster we stop COVID-19 from spreading, the more likely we can gain control with these current vaccines.

Q: How common are allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines?
A: Per the CDC, allergic reactions to coronavirus vaccinations remain very rare and should not dissuade people from being vaccinated. Of the 1.9 million people who received a shot during the first two weeks of vaccination, 29 experienced severe allergic reactions (known as anaphylaxis) to the Pfizer vaccine. The CDC is advising that those who had an immediate allergic reaction to the first dose of the vaccine not receive the second dose.

Q: What should I tell the vaccination provider before I get the Moderna vaccine?
A: Tell your vaccination provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have any allergies; have a fever; have a bleeding disorder or are on a blood thinner; are immunocompromised or are on a medicine that affects your immune system; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant; are breastfeeding; or have received another COVID‑19 vaccine.
Vaccinations Offered Through Los Angeles County

Remember: If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine outside of AltaMed, please email proof (CDC vaccination card) to Employee Health for documentation purposes.

Eligibility
The vaccination sites are offering vaccines for certain health care workers in Los Angeles County—those who are high- and medium-risk and who work in certain settings (check the site to verify health care settings).

Appointments and Locations
Health care workers in Los Angeles County can make an appointment here. To determine your vaccination eligibility at this time and to schedule a vaccination appointment, visit the LA County Department of Public Health website COVID-19 Vaccination for Healthcare Workers. Several locations are available for the vaccine—you will need to select a location and appointment time.
 
Documentation
In order to be vaccinated, you must bring one of the four sets of documentation listed below to your appointment:
  1. Health care worker employee badge with photo
  2. Professional license AND a photo ID
  3. Signed letter from employer on facility letterhead AND a photo ID
  4. Payment stub from health care provider with your name AND a photo ID

To learn when vaccines will be offered to new groups of health care workers and when more vaccine appointments become available, sign up for email updates.
Vaccinations Offered Through Orange County

Remember: If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine outside of AltaMed, please email proof (CDC vaccination card) to Employee Health for documentation purposes.

The Orange County Health Care Agency is hosting vaccination clinics for health care workers who fall in the active categories noted by Orange County—click here to register.

After clicking the link, you will be directed to:
  • Answer a brief assessment survey to determine your prioritization order (click here to review the description of the tiers)
  • Please select the answers that most closely match or describe the requirements of your role
  • Register and set up an account
  • Download the Othena mobile app from either the iPhone App Store or Google Play for Android
  • Log in to the app
  • Schedule an appointment for your initial vaccination dose
  • A brief how-to video describing the process is available here
Share Your Shot #oneshotatatime

Send us your selfie as you get your vaccine and tag AltaMed in your social media posts.

We would like to share how our employees are taking the shot to defeat the pandemic.
Do Your Part to Stop the Surge

  • Wear your masks—Face masks are to be worn at all times over your nose and mouth (except when drinking or eating), and should be stored properly or discarded. Patients need to wear masks at all times in examination rooms as well.
  • Maintain hand hygiene—Staff should have easy access to hand sanitizer dispensers to clean hands frequently, and should wash hands for 20 seconds at a time.
  • Practice physical distancing—Stay six feet apart from other individuals whether inside or outside.
  • Wipe down any work surfaces you touch.
  • Patient-facing staff, including front office if no plexiglass barrier is used, should wear a face shield or eye covering in addition to a face mask—avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Employees must wear appropriate PPE when on site.
Please Note: If you are contacted by the media with questions about the coronavirus outbreak or for any other reason, please email Veronica Orozco, Sr. Manager, Public Relations. The Public Relations team monitors all media coverage of AltaMed (social and traditional platforms) to uphold our reputation. If you have questions and concerns regarding media coverage, please call Veronica at (323) 482-3073. If you'd like to read news releases from AltaMed, visit our external website, AltaMed.org under Newsroom.