The first batch of coronavirus vaccine will arrive via van at Central Peninsula Hospital this Thursday.
Representatives from the hospital and Soldotna Professional Pharmacy confirmed last week they were getting doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine soon. But with FDA authorization of the vaccine still pending, there were some details to iron out.
On Tuesday, as the first doses of Alaska vaccine were administered in Anchorage, hospital spokesman Bruce Richards confirmed CPH is getting one cooler of 975 doses. Of those, 540 will go to the hospital so it can vaccinate its health care workers.
An estimated 400 will go to Soldotna Professional Pharmacy, said co-owner Justin Ruffridge. The pharmacy has been tasked with vaccinating residents and employees of long-term care facilities, like Heritage Place.
A third portion will go to the Nikiski Fire Department, which is vaccinating full-time and volunteer first responders from the Nikiski and Kenai fire departments. Nikiski Fire Chief Bryan Crisp said the department has not yet confirmed how many doses it will receive.
Some areas of Alaska, like Juneau and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, are getting their vaccine shipments via plane. The peninsula is getting its doses delivered in a van by Anchorage Messenger Services, a courier service the hospital uses regularly.
Because the hospital has a freezer that can keep the vaccine at its required minus 95 degrees, it will serve as a home base, or “mini depot” for the central peninsula batches.
