Connecticut health chief: COVID-19 vaccine distribution faces hurdles

Dr. Deidre Gifford, the state's acting health commissioner, told Gov. Ned Lamont's COVID Task Force that Connecticut faces significant hurdles getting a COVID-19 vaccine distributed.

News 12 Staff

Nov 21, 2020, 12:20 AM

Updated 1,492 days ago

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Dr. Deidre Gifford, the state's acting health commissioner, told Gov. Ned Lamont's COVID Task Force that Connecticut faces significant hurdles getting a COVID-19 vaccine distributed.
The first is money – namely a lack of funds from Washington, D.C.
"We've haven't gotten a ton of money for this process from our federal partners, and we are holding out hope for more," she said.
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Then there are the hospitals that will actually get the vaccine. Fewer than half of Connecticut's acute care facilities have the ultra-cold storage capacity the vaccines require.
Pfizer's vaccine must be kept below minus-76 degrees Fahrenheit. And once it's taken out, it must be used within five days. Patients need two doses, taken 21 days apart.
Moderna's vaccine has more flexibility, but it still needs to be stored at minus-5 degrees.
It can be used within a month and also requires two doses.
There is also the issue of trusting that people will voluntarily take the vaccine. Keith Grant, of Hartford HealthCare says “getting as much compliance” to the vaccination process as possible “is going to be essential.”