By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

A local hospital is preparing to receive its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine. Doctors, nurses, and staff at St. Joseph Mercy Livingston are preparing for the arrival of the Phizer vaccine. The Howell hospital, along with all other Trinity Health hospitals in Michigan have ultra-cold freezers and are prepared to receive, store and distribute the shots.

The vaccines will be administered on a voluntary basis to health care personnel who meet the CDC-defined criteria of direct patient care to COVID-19 patients, including those working on the COVID units, in ICU, and Emergency Departments, according to a release.

The health system is expecting to receive weekly shipments of both the Phizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine once that becomes available.

Chief Clinical Officer for Trinity Health Michigan, Dr. Rosalie Tocco-Bradley, said they “are confident in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and strongly encourage everyone ages 16 and older to be vaccinated as the vaccine becomes more widely available.”

Four of the health system’s hospitals received the vaccine and began administering it already; those being St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids, and Mercy Health Muskegon. Those hospitals all received between 975 and 1,950 doses.