Have you ever wondered how vaccines get safely from the manufacturer to pharmacies, health centres and clinics, and into your arm?
It’s okay if you haven’t—that’s the job of Jodi Fayant, Krista Pitts and Courtenay Uhrich.
“I think about vaccines 24/7—you can ask my family!” chuckles Jodi. “I love and respect vaccines. I consider them ‘my babies.”
Jodi is the lead for Interior Health’s (IH) Immunization and Informatics Program. In her role, she makes sure vaccines arrive safely at IH’s vaccine depots and beyond—to public health centres and community vaccine providers and clinics.
The certified medical device technologist has a background in microbiology and has been with IH for 19 years. She’s responsible not just for vaccines, but what’s known as biologicals, such as immune globulins (antibodies from human blood).
“Our job is to ensure every dose administered is safe, effective and protects as expected,” explains Jodi. “Consider a patient receiving chemotherapy, or someone who needs rabies products. A flu vaccine has to protect that vulnerable chemo patient, while someone exposed to rabies will almost certainly die without a treatment that’s effective.”
