As COVID-19 vaccination advancement continues, the first round of the Moderna vaccine has arrived in Connecticut.
On Monday, Hartford HealthCare received and distributed their first vaccine shipment and it’s already being touted as even more flexible for storage and usage than Pfizer.
"I think the big difference is that it can be really put in a lot of different clinic settings outside of hospitals," said Eric Arlia, director of systems pharmacy at Hartford HealthCare.
"This vaccine is much easier to handle logistically. It’s stored at a regular frozen temperature which is -20 degrees so it’s much easier to handle, it doesn’t need dry ice, it’s also good in the refrigerator for a month 30 days," Arlia said.
As the vaccines have been preparing to roll out over the last several months, skeptics have raised concerns about safety, but Director of Infection Prevention for Hartford Healthcare, Keith Grant, said the vaccine has exceeded expectations.
"The FDA had asked for at least 50% efficacy both of these vaccines are both above 94%," said Grant.
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At a press conference, Hartford HealthCare President and CEO Jeffrey Flaks said his team is moving full speed ahead in not only administering the vaccine to staff, but preparing to distribute it to the masses.
"We have clinics that are operational at each one of our hospitals and next week on the 28th, we will be opening a vaccine clinic in the convention center," said Flaks.
According to staff, the convention center clinic will be operating three days next week and after the new year, it will transition to five days a week with each station be able to see 100 people in eight hours.
