LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The CDC and the state selected UK HealthCare as a test site for distributing the Pfizer vaccine. Now the healthcare company is speaking out about what it has learned from a recent test of the vaccine delivery system.
UK Healthcare says it received a mock shipment from Pfizer on Dec. 3, and it had no issues with the test run. The healthcare system says it placed a mock order for doses on Monday and received them on Thursday. There were no actual vaccines.
The trial, which selected one hospital in each state, instead tested the operational and logistical readiness for distribution. That included transferring a shipment that kept real-time temperatures, as well as testing a new software program that tracks a dose from the manufacturing center to the patient.
Officials at UK HealthCare say the exercise went smoothly. However, they say the process for getting the vaccines is different and much more extensive than what they're used to.
Dr. Philip Almeter, chief pharmacist at UK HealthCare
"We have a different group placing an order," said Dr. Philip Almeter, chief pharmacist at UK HealthCare. "Then they're sending it to another party. Then that party is sending it to two separate parties -- Pfizer and McKesson. Then we are receiving it. That's a lot of moving pieces from a logistics standpoint and they wanted to test the system. And it worked beautifully."
The FDA could potentially approve the Pfizer vaccine next week. If that happens, UK expects to have doses the following week.
Overall, UK HealthCare says the test run went smoothly and plans to share information about it with other hospitals around the state.
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