Oklahoma Hospital Prepares For COVID-19 Vaccine

Green Country hospitals said they are preparing now to receive the COVID-19 vaccinations, once they become available.

Pfizer’s COVID vaccine needs to be stored in a special freezer that reaches negative 100 degrees. Hillcrest said they’re ordering that freezer now so it’s ready.   

Once the FDA gives approval to the vaccine, the next challenge will be getting them shipped to hospitals across the country and for hospitals to store it. 

“Typically hospitals don’t have a freezer that goes that low or, if they do, it’s being used for something else not for storage of vaccines. I do know that Hillcrest and other hospitals are purchasing special freezers so that they can get them in in time and in place for the vaccine," said Doctor Jeff Johnson.

Dr. Johnson works in the emergency room of Hillcrest Medical Center, which could be one of the locations to get the vaccine first in our area. 

“There have been five sites in Oklahoma that have been initially identified as being the points of vaccination and that’s explicitly because of that requirement to keep the Pfizer vaccine so cold," said Doctor Dale Bratzler.

Dr. Bratlzer said Pfizer and Moderna both have stockpiles of the vaccine ready for distribution. He said first responders, nursing homes, and frontline medical workers will be the first to receive the vaccine. He said he believes in the effectiveness of the vaccines. 

“The risk to benefit ratio seems to be low at this point. It seems that there is great benefit from getting more people vaccinated at this point to reduce hospitalizations and deaths from the disease," said Dr. Bratzler.

Dr. Bratzler said the vaccine has to be given within six hours of taking it out of the freezer to thaw.