Dr. Faheem Younus, an infectious disease specialist for Upper Chesapeake Health received first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Younus, vice president of quality/chief quality officer at UM UCH, has played an instrumental educational and leadership role—both locally and for the System—in the fight against COVID-19. “I received this vaccine because I want to lead by example,” Dr. Younus said. “This is my place, and these are my people. As an infectious disease physician, I have educated myself about the vaccine, and I am convinced it is safe and efficacious. I trust the science, and I hope more people will do the same so we can crush this pandemic.”
Forty University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH) frontline healthcare workers received COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines on Wednesday as the organization begins the process of vaccinating team members. UM UCH received its first shipment of vaccine and is in the process of allocating doses across both UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and UM Harford Memorial Hospital, with additional vaccine delivery expected later this week or next week.
“For many months, we have been looking forward to the day when vaccines would be available to protect our healthcare workers and very soon for the community at large,” said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System. “As we begin vaccinations, and finally begin the process of ending this pandemic, I’m thankful to our UMMS and UM School of Medicine colleagues who have been working tirelessly to care for our community and lead in the development of innovative treatments and vaccines.”
Two of the first UM UCH team members to receive the vaccine were Faheem Younus, MD, infectious disease specialist, and John Haacke, RN, critical care nurse at UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center.
