News
Hammaker: How the COVID-19 vaccine works
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At Vail Health this week, we received our first shipment of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine, and after it is approved by the FDA with an Emergency Use Authorization, we expect to receive the Moderna mRNA vaccine in the coming weeks.
While the vaccine is new and has been produced quickly, mRNA technology has been around for many years. The vaccine essentially takes a piece messenger RNA from the viral cell and causes our bodies to produce the protein that triggers the immune response and antibodies to ward off infection.
An mRNA vaccine does not actually contain the virus itself. An analogy is to think of it as an email sent to the muscle cells at the injection site that shows what a piece of viral protein looks like and then — like a Snapchat message — it disappears. Our bodies will develop an immune response to kill the viral protein and remember how to recognize it in the future. It is an amazing technology and a breakthrough in modern medicine.
Read the full article at VailDaily.com >
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James Hetfield, lead singer of Metallica, visits Ukrainian soldiers at Vail Health
When you’re in the emergency room, any surprise visitor is a welcome sight. But when it’s James Hetfield, lead singer of Metallica, then, really, “Nothing Else Matters,” at least for the moment.
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New community benefit law won’t alter Vail Health’s priorities
Nonprofit hospitals in Colorado that receive federal, state and local tax exemptions are expected to provide a certain amount of community benefit. And starting in August 2023, these hospitals — including Vail Health — will have new reporting requirements for how they spend toward “community benefit.”
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Eagle County School District hosts safe driving fairs at high schools
Over the past month, both Eagle Valley and Battle Mountain high schools hosted safe driving fairs. The fairs aimed at educating students about the importance of driving safely as well as on the perils of impaired and distracted driving.