LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — The newly approved Moderna coronavirus vaccine will add tens of thousands of vaccine doses to Washington state's allotment this week.
Both Pfizer and Moderna are sending COVID-19 vaccines to Washington.
“In combination, we’re getting close to 180,000 doses of vaccine this week,” said Cassie Sauer, president of the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA).
According to the association, 44,850 Pfizer doses and 128,000 Moderna doses are expected.
The Pfizer doses will go mainly to hospitals with specialized freezers.
But the Moderna vaccines are going to more than just hospitals. They are going to public health departments, primary care facilities, private medical groups, and more, according to the WSHA.
And it has to do with how the vaccine is stored.
“The Pfizer vaccine is hard to move. We’re really concerned about moving it, that it will come above temperature then be rendered ineffective,” explained Sauer.
The Moderna vaccine is more temperature stable.
“It is an easier product to handle and store. So, it comes frozen but then can be moved and refrigerated. And as long as it’s unopened, it’s still good for 30 days,” said Eric Wymore, vice president of Pharmacy for CHI Franciscan.
This means places without specialized freezers now can store and administer a COVID-19 vaccine.
“I sort of got a little emotional on Friday, just that relief of knowing that our frontline staff are going to be protected. It’s huge,” said Diane Blake, CEO of Cascade Medical Center in Leavenworth.
The hospital, like many others in rural communities, does not have the ability to store the Pfizer vaccine. So staff werre sent to other hospitals to get the first doses.
But Cascade Medical Center is expected to get some of the Moderna doses once they arrive in Washington.
“Knowing that we can be a help in administering the vaccine rather than relying on, we’re grateful for our partners who vaccinated staff for us, but we can do that work here and we’re grateful to be able to do that,” Blake said.
The news of the Moderna vaccine availability comes after officials learned that the federal Pfizer vaccine availability for this week would be cut by 40%, due to less than the expected amount of vaccine being ready for distribution.