USA Health Launches Global Pandemic Awareness Campaign for COVID Vaccination Efforts in Peru

By Casandra Andrews
[email protected]

The success demonstrated by USA Health in delivering COVID-19 vaccines to large numbers of people has gained international attention. A non-governmental agency in Peru asked USA Health experts to establish processes and operations in the Cusco region of Peru for other university partners to follow in the future.

“When we got the call from our medical partner, CerviCusco, we knew we had to help,” said Natalie Fox, DNP, Assistant Administrator and Chief Nurse for USA Health Physicians Group. “Our plan is to travel to Peru in mid-August, to establish processes and protocols for safe and efficient vaccine distribution in the region with the goal of delivering 5,000 doses to the Peruvian people.”

Peru has one of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the world, exceeding 590 deaths per 100,000 people. In June, the death rate topped 180,000 people and continues to rise.

To support the humanitarian effort, mobile-based Synergy Laboratories is providing up to $ 10,000 in donations to the USA Health awareness campaign. Since the pandemic emerged in early 2020, Synergy has played a pivotal role in USA Health’s COVID-19 testing efforts in Mobile.

“Service is at the heart of what we do,” said Brad Pitts, CEO of Synergy Labs. “When we heard about USA Health’s medical volunteer trip, we immediately knew we wanted to help make it a reality and encourage others to be a part of the efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 around the world. . “

CerviCusco, a non-profit organization in Peru recognized internationally for its HPV vaccination program, is partnering with USA Health to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to the Cusco region of Peru. While the United States government recently sent 2 million doses of Pfizer vaccine to Peru, the limited infrastructure and staff to deliver massive amounts of vaccine will make operational administration difficult in the months to come.

CerviCusco acknowledged the skill with which USA Health organized a mass vaccination site in Mobile and asked for help. More than 20 USA Health volunteers will travel to Peru in August to administer more than 5,000 doses of the vaccine.

As of December 15, 2020, USA Health has provided more than 75,000 doses of the vaccine to residents of the upper Gulf Coast, including at mass events where more than 2,200 people were injected in one day. .

A partnership between USA Health and the city of Mobile provided the region’s only university health system with access to public spaces for driving COVID-19 tests and vaccinations, paramedics and security support, among other services needed to help stop the spread of the virus along the Gulf Coast and beyond.

Although the cost of the vaccine is covered, this humanitarian effort needs your help to offset travel and operating costs. Please use this link to donate to the effort: usahealthsystem.com/global-outreach.