NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Governor Andrew Cuomo announced earlier this week that New York State set up 90 regional distribution centers that are capable of cold storage to hold the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
The Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center has already received a special freezer for storing the vaccine.
The freezer will be kept at -70 to -80 degrees Celsius. According to a release from the hospital, "The freezer is housed in a secure room that has been modified to provide the additional electricity needed to operate it."
We spoke to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Pharmacy Director Michelle Lewis about the operation.
She told 2 On Your Side, "Being at that -70 to -80 degree Celsius range and the stability of once we take it out, we only have a short window. Once we reconstitute these vials, we have six hours to use the five doses that are in that vial so we mathematically have to make sure that we have people lined up appropriately so we don't even let one dose go to waste."
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center anticipates a delivery of at least 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this upcoming week.
Lewis said the state has given them guidance that, ideally, they can go through the initial supply within 10 days so they can keep moving into the next prioritization groups.
"This is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime, to be part of this pandemic and to hopefully make a difference," Lewis said. "This vaccine is going to hopefully help us turn that corner and really give us some hope as we try and get through all of this."
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement following the FDA's authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
“While we celebrate the FDA's authorization of a vaccine that puts us one step closer to eradicating COVID-19, we have to face reality — states and localities need federal support to ensure the vaccine is distributed efficiently and equitably to those who need it the most and our families and small businesses need immediate economic relief from their federal government.”
Then there's the Moderna vaccine, which ECMC anticipates receiving possibly by the week of December 21.
A spokesperson with ECMC told 2 On Your Side in an email, "Several weeks ago, an internal ECMC multidisciplinary task force began meeting to strategize the implementation of a vaccination plan. Per state guidelines, ECMC is currently working to prioritize employees for vaccinations. We will continue to follow state guidance on rolling out vaccine access and administration."
On a Zoom call on Friday, Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters that in order for this to be successful, 75 to 80 percent of New Yorkers will need to be vaccinated.
"We don't anticipate it to be available to the general public until spring or even summer, but that could all change if more doses come available from the providers so we're working very closely with them," Hochul said.
In the meantime, state leaders stressed that the fight against COVID-19 is not over and we need to continue following public health guidelines to limit the spread.
