PITTSFIELD, MASS. (WHDH) - A hospital in the Berkshires got an assist from local groups in order to safely store one of the coronavirus vaccines for the community.
Pfizer’s vaccine needs to be kept at temperatures below negative 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so Berkshire Medical Center ordered specialty freezers, hospital officials said. But those freezers are in high demand across the country, and despite the vaccine being rolled out now, BMC’s freezers are not expected to arrive until 2021.
But two local organizations with specialty freezers have loaned them to the hospital, allowing them to store the vaccine. Berkshire Health Systems director of communications Michael Leary said he wasn’t surprised the community stepped up to help.
“One thing I will say about the Berkshires is when there is a time of need, organizations from across this county have regularly reached out to help one another and that was the case this time as well,” Leary said.
Pfizer’s vaccine can keep for up to 30 days if it’s replenished with dry ice, so many rural hospitals without access to ultra-cold freezers are also stocking up to preserve their doses.
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