OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — CHI Health President Dr. Cliff Robertson and CHI Health Chief Operating Officer and Registered Nurse Kathy Bressler provided a COVID-19 update for the healthcare system today.
CHI is expecting to receive 5,850 total doses of the Pfizer vaccine as early as this weekend and is planning on administering the doses on Monday.
Those doses will be distributed to the following areas in the CHI Health system:
- 3,900 - Omaha
- 975 - Lincoln
- 975 - Grand Island
Vaccines will be prioritized for those on the frontlines of caring for COVID-19 patients, based on risk of exposure, and will be administered until none remain.
Storage of Pfizer’s vaccine requires ultra-cold temperatures. Robertson said CHI Health has the capacity to store about 250,000 doses now and expects to double that number before the month is over. Moderna’s version of the vaccine doesn’t require ultra-cold storage and should be easier to manage Robertson said.
At this time, CHI Health is still pushing back medical procedures for some patients but is hopeful those can be rescheduled in the near future as cases and hospitalizations continue to trend down Bressler said.
Related: 90-year-old woman in England is the first to receive initial dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine
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