Methodist Hospital received more than 5,000 doses, which is part of their 13,650 allotment.
When the vaccines arrive, they go into freezers with a temperature of -80 degrees Celcius. That s about -112 degrees Fahrenheit, which is colder than the surface of Mars.
The doses are stored in the freezer room until they re ready to thaw for the shots.
Officials have only five minutes to move the vials into a freezer to make sure they stay cold enough to be effective. The stakes are high with the vaccine as it s all about timing. We ve got to have a thawing time of 30 minutes. If we thaw it out, it lasts us up to six hours. So we ve got six hours of administration time, explained Binita Patel with Memorial Hermann Pharmacy Services.
Methodist Hospital received more than 5,000 doses, which is part of their 13,650 allotment.
When the vaccines arrive, they go into freezers with a temperature of -80 degrees Celcius. That s about -112 degrees Fahrenheit, which is colder than the surface of Mars.
The doses are stored in the freezer room until they re ready to thaw for the shots.
Officials have only five minutes to move the vials into a freezer to make sure they stay cold enough to be effective. The stakes are high with the vaccine as it s all about timing. We ve got to have a thawing time of 30 minutes. If we thaw it out, it lasts us up to six hours. So we ve got six hours of administration time, explained Binita Patel with Memorial Hermann Pharmacy Services.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) As healthcare systems across the Texas Medical Center prepare for their first shipments of Pfizer s COVID-19 vaccine, healthcare employees are preparing too. Soon as I found out that it was available, I signed up right away, said Johnie Leonard, the nursing director for emergency services at Houston Methodist Hospital.
Leonard said she signed up for a morning vaccine on Tuesday and is expected to get the shot just hours after the hospital receives its shipment the same day. I m not that worried about the side effects. You know, we take the flu vaccine every year as well. I am anticipating it may be similar to that, Leonard said.
Houston-area hospital workers begin to receive COVID-19 vaccine KTRK
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It was an historic day at Houston hospitals as the first healthcare workers received the COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 ICU nurse Robert Luckey was the first to receive the Pfizer vaccine at Memorial Hermann Hospital. He was also the first person in Houston to get the vaccine.
Luckey s vaccination was met with much fanfare, the room erupting in applause.
Visibly emotional, even while wearing a mask, Luckey said this has been both a rewarding and trying time. It s a big moment because so many people have been touched by the virus, the disease. So I think this will bring hope for a lot of people, Luckey said.