Virtua Health Launches COVID-19 Booster Program For Employees

Virtua Health has begun providing COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to its workforce, the health system announced. On Monday, it began administering the Pfizer booster shot to as many as 14,000 colleagues.

The shots are being administered to staff in the order in which they received their initial vaccine series beginning back in December.

Virtua will continue administering booster shots until all eligible Virtua employees have the chance to get the booster, health officials said.

Eligible employees include those who have the greatest potential for job-related exposure to the coronavirus, including those who work in emergency medical services (e.g., paramedics and EMTs), emergency departments, and intensive care units.

“This booster dose is literally a ‘shot in the arm’ to increase the immunity of staff who received their first shots when they first became available,” Virtua Health Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Reg Blaber said. “These boosters will deliver an added layer of protection that will further safeguard our vital health care providers, as well as the patients and community we serve.”

Virtua Willingboro Director of Emergency Services Nurse Kit O’Neal was among the first to get a booster shot.

"I am ecstatic to receive the booster," O'Neal said. “To be able to protect ourselves and our families against COVID moving forward, is nothing short of a gift.”

Virtua Medical Director of Community Health Dr. Jubril Oyeyemi was also among the first to get a booster, but also emphasized the need for those who have not yet been vaccinated at all to get their first shot.

“Not enough of us got vaccinated early enough to eradicate COVID, allowing variants to form,” Oyeyemi said. “The hope is that we all get vaccinated so that COVID-19 will [retreat] and more variants will not emerge.”

“While it’s wonderful for health care workers to receive this boost of protection, that is not the key to moving beyond the pandemic,” Blaber said. “It is far more important that those who have not yet been vaccinated get vaccinated – as they are completely vulnerable.”

He emphasized that the majority of hospitalizations and deaths occur among the unvaccinated, and unvaccinated people can more easily spread the virus to others – including children who are too young to be vaccinated and senior citizens and others with weakened immune systems.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only COVID-19 vaccine recommended for booster shots by the CDC to date. However, a third dose of the Moderna vaccine is approved for those who have a compromised immune system. This Moderna shot is not a “booster,” but rather an additional dose to help those individuals achieve maximum protection.

Virtua said it is currently unable to schedule vaccine boosters for the community. However, eligible community members can receive a third dose at more than 1,600 sites across New Jersey. To find a vaccination site and book an appointment, visit covid19.nj.gov/finder or call the state’s Vaccine Call Center at 1-855-568-0545.

Residents can see if they are eligible for a booster by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at cdc.gov. To learn more about COVID-19 and Virtua’s COVID-19 resources and services, visit https://www.virtua.org/services/covid19-updates.