BY CHARLES M. KELLY
The first COVID-19 vaccines came to Catalina Island Thursday morning, Dec. 17. (The news broke after The Islander’s editorial deadline last week.)
Jason Paret, CEO of the Catalina Island Medical Center, confirmed the news that IEX Helicopters delivered COVID-19 vaccinations to the island during a Dec. 18 phone interview.
Paret said the helicopter company did not have a scheduled flight, but provided the service. “They didn’t even charge me for it,” he said.
He said he had not seen morale at the hospital this high in a very long time.
“They were incredibly helpful with getting hospital staff and first responders vaccinated,” Paret said.
The vaccine needed to be delivered quickly. The vaccine only has five days of life, according to Paret. At this time, the vaccine is being used mostly for healthcare personnel. Paret said he was looking forward to the release of additional vaccine.
Paret wore a face mask on the flight. He said he was being extra vigilant as he was not about to risk being exposed before receiving the vaccine shot.
“This is fantastic news for the island and we are so appreciative that we could support the tremendous work that the whole team at CIMC does on a daily basis to care for the community on Catalina Island,” wrote Ben Villalobos, vice president of business development at IEX Helicopters in a Dec. 18 email to The Islander.
“I remain hopeful that we are moving closer toward closing this challenging chapter,” wrote Paret in a Dec. 21 email to the Catalina Island community.
“But we aren’t there yet, so we need your help,” he wrote.
“I would like to ask each of us to continue doing our part to curb the rise in cases. We all know what to do: stay home as much as possible, keep your mask on when you are out, and refrain from gathering – including the holiday parties and family get-togethers we all are yearning for,” he wrote.
