For rural Virginia, getting the vaccine is one thing. Storing it is another. West Piedmont Health Districtâs Nancy Bell (Source: WDBJ) By Eric Miller | December 12, 2020 at 7:14 PM EST - Updated December 12 at 7:14 PM
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - For months, West Piedmont Health Districtâs Nancy Bell has spent plenty of time on one major problem: where to keep the sensitive COVID-19 vaccines in her rural chunk of south Virginia.
âThe past couple of days have been fast-forward planning,â she said.
Both vaccines now awaiting approval need to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept at around -80 degrees Fahrenheit, about the same temperature as a winterâs day in Antarctica. The Moderna vaccine doesnât need to be kept as cold, but still has to stay at -20 degrees. Thatâs putting a burden on rural health districts, like West Peidmont, where the number of freezers capable of hitting those temperatures is limited.