John Ruibal was first in line — literally — to get his COVID-19 vaccine once Prowers Medical Center received doses in December. His reason?

“Freedom,” he said.

Ruibal, Registered Dietitian at Prowers Medical Center, had spent months prior to the initial distribution of the vaccine researching it. Once it received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA, he began to study the data and results of the vaccine trials, investigated the websites of the vaccine companies and listened to the EUA board and all experts who were providing research. He was amazed by the technology as well as the vaccine’s safety and efficacy.

“What people don’t realize is that scientists have been developing this technology for more than 10 years, but because of the pandemic, all of the greatest experts in the world put it on warp speed,” he said. “This vaccine helps us get closer to that light at the end of the tunnel. Hundreds of millions of Americans and individuals in other countries have been vaccinated and there have been very few side effects.”

Now, Ruibal and other team members at Prowers Medical Center are sharing their vaccination stories to encourage others in the community to feel comfortable with getting the vaccine. Prowers Medical Center recently participated in an 11-week program called the SAVE Program, which stands for “Sprint to Accelerate Vaccination Equitably.” The program aims to increase the rate of COVID-19 immunizations in the community.

“We saw this as an opportunity to strengthen our partnerships with local healthcare providers, learn from other healthcare systems and identify potential mechanisms to help increase county vaccination rates,” said Karen Bryant, CEO of Prowers Medical Center. “We wanted to encourage hospital staff and community residents to become more educated about the COVID-19 vaccines and the importance of getting vaccinated.”

Why Get the Vaccine?

The vaccine is effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection. Those who receive their vaccination are better protected against the virus. In present day, a majority of those who are testing positive or being hospitalized for the virus are those who are not vaccinated.

“There is absolute proof that getting vaccinated decreases the chances of hospitalization and death,” said Tina Sandoval, Chief Clinical Officer of Prowers Medical Center. “It doesn’t ensure you won’t get COVID-19, but it does prevent hospitalization and death in those who are vaccinated. Also, vaccinated people pose very little risk of transmission to another individual or loved one.”

Ruibal received his vaccine to not only protect patients at the hospital and his co-workers who risked their lives throughout the pandemic, but also his friends and family — specifically his mother, who turned 95 this year. Last year, he could only speak to her through a window to keep her safe; this year, he hugged her in person after they were both fully vaccinated.

“I served 28 years in the Army and deployed three times to the Middle East and traveled to countless countries,” he said. “To protect me and my fellow soldiers, we received vaccines for common disease in those areas. Now as a civilian, I want to continue to protect myself, my family and friends and all people I may come in contact with.”

Leonor Gamboa, Patient Financial Services Specialist at Prowers Medical Center, had a different experience than Ruibal. She wasn’t sold on the vaccine until April 16, after her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Her thoughts on the vaccine completely changed.

“I was not planning on getting the vaccine until it was mandatory,” she said. “I was under the impression that there wasn’t enough research done. But then we were strongly encouraged to get the vaccine by my mother’s physicians. If she contracts COVID-19, it could be deadly for her due to the chemotherapy drugs compromising her immune system. She isn’t strong enough to fight the virus at this time, and I realized my mom’s health was more important to me.”

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine gets the community one step closer to complete pandemic freedom. It helps to save people from hospitalizations and death while protecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly, the immunocompromised or those with conditions in which the virus could have dire consequences.

“This virus is going nowhere until COVID-19 vaccines are everywhere,” Sandoval said.

Continuation of the SAVE Program

The goal of the SAVE Program is to increase the percentage of COVID-19 immunizations in the Prowers County community to 50 percent through education and outreach. Healthcare administration will continue to increase that percentage in small increments as time continues and as new populations become eligible for the vaccination.

Until then, Gamboa, Ruibal, Bryant and Sandoval are encouraging those in the community to share their stories of why they got vaccinated to others, especially individuals who may still have questions or doubts.

“I think we need to think of others — not just family members,” Gamboa concluded. “There could be someone at the grocery store battling an illness we don’t know about, and contracting COVID-19 could be deadly for them.”

If you would like to share your personal COVID-19 vaccine story with the community through Prowers Medical Center, either through a written or video format, contact Amanda Vasquez at amanda.vasquez@prowersmedical.com.