The Bellevue Hospital, on Wednesday 13, hosted its second vaccination blitz to inoculate patients and residents, in recognizing mental health week. The hospital houses 540 patients 350 of which have been vaccinated. Executive members of the Bellevue Board shared the importance of catering wholly to the needs of their patients, a community largely ignored, they also noted the the importance of the physical protection of the patients as they receive mental health care.
Happy to see patients and residents being protected through vaccination, Bellevue Board Chairman, Dr. Diana Thorburn breaks down the vaccination figures that reflect past and future inoculation efforts. The day’s events fall in mental health awareness week. Dr. Thorburn hopes that this observance will de-stigmatize and raise more awareness about mental illness. She notes that the more awareness there is on mental health issues and the normalization of mental health problems as health problems then the necessary steps forward to de-stigmatization will be more profound.
Patients and residents were described as being in good spirits during the blitz where they were given AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson vaccines. There are other activities planned to engage residents and staff during the week as shared by hospital CEO Marcia Mullings Thompson. Staff vaccination at Bellevue is currently 70 percent.
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