Members of our One Amazing Team express why getting vaccinated is important to them.
January 5, 2021
December 15, 2020
Today, Texas Children’s received our first shipment of the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine. We are so proud to be one of the first institutions in the nation to receive the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech and approved by the FDA for emergency use on Friday, December 11.
Today, our President & CEO, Mark A. Wallace, along with Dr. Peter Hotez, Director for Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, joined thousands of our health care heroes in receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Leadership influences and determines outcomes – not some of the time, but all of the time. It is our time to lead, and Mr. Wallace along with the entire leadership team would like to encourage and support all of our faculty and staff who are eligible to be vaccinated.
“At Texas Children’s, the safety and well-being of our employees and medical staff is paramount,” said Wallace. “What we know as a medical community is that vaccination is one of the safest and most effective means we have to fight against preventable diseases,” Wallace said.
Over the next several months, all Texas Children’s employees and Baylor College of Medicine faculty and staff supporting Texas Children’s are eligible to be vaccinated at no cost. For more information and to opt in please click here to visit our COVID-19 vaccine distribution website.
“I’m excited that we are in the midst of administering the COVID-19 vaccine to our workforce,” Wallace added. “Based on guidance from the National Academy of Sciences and state guidance on vaccine allocation, we’ve established a framework for equitable allocation that guides us in our distribution process.”
Texas Children’s has been leading the way in responding to the global pandemic since it emerged, particularly by adopting and advocating for practices that help stop the spread of COVID-19: hand washing, social distancing and properly wearing a mask. Those powerful preventative measures must continue even as COVID-19 vaccine doses begin to be administered.
“Our One Amazing Team has consistently overcome the impacts and challenges of COVID-19 to keep Texas Children’s sturdy and strong for those who need us. It is wonderful to see Texas Children’s is at the forefront of medical history – helping to pioneer the vaccine that many hope will turn the tide in the global fight against the pandemic,” stated Wallace.
December 8, 2020
Texas Children’s Team Members,
Many of you have already opted in to participate in Texas Children’s Phase 1 deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine. If you have not already, you can still opt in to receive the vaccine by filling out the questionnaire at the link below:
Click here to access the Opt-In Questionnaire
All information is kept strictly confidential and only accessed by Employee Health.
Although we are currently planning for supplies of the vaccine to be limited initially, Texas Children’s has designed an equitable allocation framework to assign team members into different distribution phases, based on recommendations from the National Academy of Medicine, as well as guidance from state and federal authorities. As part of this process, Employee Health will evaluate team members who opt in against multiple objective risk elements, all of which are rated equally and include a person’s risk of acquiring infection, risk of transmitting infection, risk of severe illness and death, and risk of an individual’s infection impacting Texas Children’s ability to provide care for our community.
Please note that the pace at which we advance through each phase will be contingent on when and how many doses of the vaccine Texas Children’s receives. To stay up to date on the latest information and timing, please check your email, Connect and our COVID-19 Vaccine website at texaschildrensbenefits.org/CovidVaccine. To view the email announcement sent earlier this week, please click here.
Thank you for your tireless leadership and your compassionate care of our patients, their families and one another throughout our COVID-19 response.
Dr. Julie Boom and Jermaine Monroe
Co-Chairs, COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force
November 30, 2020
Texas Children’s Team Members,
As Mr. Wallace announced on November 18, Texas Children’s has established a COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force to plan and manage the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine to our team members beginning in mid to late December.
Since the pandemic began, the world has eagerly awaited a groundbreaking vaccine to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Given that our health care community has led the battle against this virus – and that supplies of the vaccine are likely to be limited initially – one of the first priorities will be distributing the vaccine to health care systems on the frontlines of providing compassionate care for patients and their families. This includes Texas Children’s, who has been selected as one of the first institutions to receive a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by the FDA for emergency use. Not only does this represent an opportunity for us to provide another layer of protection for our team members, it is also an opportunity for us to continue leading by example and demonstrating to our communities that the COVID-19 vaccine is a critical and necessary tool toward ending the pandemic.
Once appropriate regulatory approval has been granted, Texas Children’s expects to administer a vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech. Please note that there are other COVID-19 vaccines currently under development or being tested, and Texas Children’s will continue to monitor and follow regulatory guidance of those options as they are approved and become available.
How do I opt in to receive a COVID-19 vaccine?
All Texas Children’s employees, Baylor College of Medicine faculty and staff partners will be eligible to receive this vaccine. Due to the size of our workforce, and because we anticipate initially having limited doses of the vaccine, our COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force has designed a fair and equitable approach for administrating the vaccine, based on recommendations from the National Academy of Medicine and aligned with state and federal guidance. Texas Children’s will evaluate multiple objective risk elements including a person’s risk of acquiring infection, risk of transmitting infection, risk of severe illness and death, along with risk to Texas Children’s ability to provide care for our community. To learn more, download Texas Children’s Framework for Equitable COVID-19 Allocation.
As part of this equitable allocation process, workforce members who opt in to receive the vaccine will be placed into different distribution phases. In order to do this, Texas Children’s will need to understand both a workforce member’s interest in receiving the vaccine, as well as some general information about any relevant health conditions. More information is provided below.
Phase 1 administration of the vaccine is currently scheduled to begin as early as December 14 (though subject to change) and additional phases will be scheduled as we receive more doses. Here is how to get started.
Step 1: Learn more about the vaccine.
To help our people learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, we have created a website with links to additional resources. We encourage you to review the site to carefully make the best decision for you and your family.
Step 2: Submit a confidential Opt-In Questionnaire.
In order to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, you must submit an Opt-In Questionnaire. In this form, workforce members will be asked for additional information on any personal health factors that are known to increase the risk for severe illness or death related to acquiring COVID-19. All information will be kept strictly confidential and only accessed by Employee Health.
Click here to access the Opt-In Questionnaire
To be eligible to participate in the Phase 1 launch, you must submit this questionnaire no later than 2 p.m. on Monday, December 7. If you submit a form after this deadline, you will be assigned to a later phase. Workforce members may opt out at any time.
Step 3: Check your work email for a confirmation and vaccine scheduling link.
If you have been selected to participate in Phase 1, you will receive a confirmation email at your Texas Children’s or Baylor email address after December 7 and before Phase 1 administration begins. If you are not selected for Phase 1 vaccine administration, you will also receive an email notification advising of such. To ensure efficient distribution, as well as proper social distancing, an appointment to receive both doses of the vaccine will be required. In your confirmation email, you will find a link to schedule both of your vaccination appointments. Please note that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine requires two doses to be administered 21 days apart, and that you must be available during both appointment windows. If needed, please work with your leader to arrange shift coverage.
Questions
For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, we encourage you to visit texaschildrensbenefits.org/CovidVaccine. This site is available 24/7 on or off the network via any device to provide the most up-to-date information about the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as details on steps for receiving a vaccination.
If you still have questions after reviewing the website, please contact our HR Employee Support Center at 832-826-4600 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or email employeevaccines@texaschildrens.org.
Please continue to check your email, Connect and our COVID-19 Vaccine website for the latest information.
Thank you for your tireless leadership and your compassionate care of our patients, their families and one another throughout our COVID response.
Dr. Julie Boom and Jermaine Monroe
Co-Chairs, COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force
November 19, 2020
I, Mark Wallace, want to share some exciting news with you. After months of diligent work by our COVID Vaccine Task Force and our hospital leadership, we have received confirmation that Texas Children’s is pre-positioned to receive a shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine next week, which has been produced and tested by Pfizer, and submitted for emergency use approval by the Food & Drug Administration.
This is a tremendous development in the fight against this pandemic. I can think of no greater challenge we have had to overcome together, and I can think of no better news to hear than that Texas Children’s will be given such a vital tool in combating this highly infectious disease.
There are many vaccines on the horizon – Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and our own Center for Vaccine Development – but nothing prevents us from following appropriate safety guidelines. Please ensure you and all those around you – both at home and at work – wear a mask properly and over the nose, maintain social distancing at a minimum of 6 feet and practice hand hygiene throughout the day. For on-site meetings, please be sure to adhere to the identified COVID capacity for each meeting space or hold meetings virtually.
With the upcoming holiday season, it is imperative that we continue these practices. We are not only battling coronavirus, we are also now well into the flu season.
Right here, right now is the time to remain vigilant.
More information about our plan for distributing the vaccine will be coming shortly. The COVID Vaccine Task Force will continue to manage the communication, distribution, and administration of the vaccine, which will be done in a manner that is safe, fair and equitable.
I want to thank our COVID Vaccine Task Force and Operations Command for their diligent and tireless work on this initiative. They have effectively worked together to reduce the negative impact on our people, patients and community since the onset of the pandemic several months ago. Please join me in thanking the members of the Task Force and Operations Command listed below for their efforts:
- Dr. Jim Versalovic, Interim Physician-in-Chief and Pathologist-in-Chief
- Dan DiPrisco, Executive Vice President
- Mark Mullarkey, Executive Vice President
- Mary Jo Andre, Chief Nursing Officer
- Linda Aldred, Senior Vice President
- Dr. Julie Boom, Director, Immunization Project
- Jermaine Monroe, Vice President, Human Resources
- Dr. David Mann, Chair, Clinical Ethics Committee
- Dr. Maria Bottazzi, Co-Director, Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development
- Dr. George Delclos, Medical Director, Texas Children’s Occupational Health
- Afsheen Davis, Vice President, Office of General Counsel
- Kay Tittle, President, Texas Children’s Pediatrics & Texas Children’s Urgent Care
- Trudy Leidich, Vice President, Quality and Medical Staff Services
- Jeff Wagner, Assistant Vice President, Pharmacy, Respiratory Therapy, & ECMO
- Heather Cherry, Assistant Vice President, Nursing
Thank you for everything you have done throughout this pandemic. I have never been prouder to work alongside each and every one of you.
April 14, 2020
The development of a COVID-19 vaccine is the greatest medical need of our generation—and Texas Children’s is on the front lines.
Drs. Peter Hotez and Maria Elena Bottazzi, who co-direct Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, are rapidly advancing their work on vaccines that will protect against COVID-19 and other coronaviruses.
“Without a vaccine, we’re using 14th-century methods of prevention—that’s what quarantining and social distancing are, and we have to use these methods, “ Hotez said. “But vaccines have always been our best and most powerful front-line public health defense against widespread infection, and they are the answer—now and in the future—for COVID-19 and other coronaviruses.”
Most people aren’t aware that there is an entire family of coronaviruses. The one that has ignited our global pandemic is SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) are two others that have emerged in recent years.
Drs. Hotez and Bottazzi, along with their teams, have already developed recombinant protein-based vaccines against SARS and MERS. One of them is ready to be tested in humans; the other is ready for scaled-up production. We are now using our extensive expertise with these related viruses to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 and quickly move it into the clinic.
In a recent interview on the nationally syndicated health show “Dr. Oz”, Dr. Hotez shared his thoughts on COVID-19 and what he feels the future will bring. You can view part one and part two of the interview.
To learn more about the work taking place at Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development visit TexasChildrensVaccines.org.
September 20, 2016
Dr. Carol Baker, executive director of Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Awareness and Research and Baylor College of Medicine professor of pediatrics, molecular virology & microbiology, presented the 2016 Jeryl Lynn Hilleman Endowed Lecture “Vaccines for Pregnant Women: A Long Time Coming” at the National Immunization Conference in Atlanta, GA on September 13.
This endowed lectureship, the first permanent endowment established at the CDC Foundation, was given by The Merck Company Foundation in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the 25th anniversary of the first combination vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, M-M-R and its successor M-M-R II, licensed by Merck. The lecture has become an important and popular component of the CDC’s annual National Immunization Conference.