SPEED FACTOR VITAL

THE Pfizer vaccine is “unlike any medication” staff at the Gold Coast University Hospital have worked with before, says advanced pharmacist Rachael Raleigh.

Arriving on the Gold Coast on Sunday afternoon, staff had five minutes to decant the vaccine and transport it to a freezer fitted with a 24-hour temperature alarm to ensure it’s kept between -60C to -80C. This is nearly as cold as it gets in Antarctica.

“In terms of working with this vaccine we need to work very quickly, it’s unlike any medication we use normally because the time frames are never this tight generally,” she said.

Each time a part tray of the vaccine is handled pharmacists have three minutes to take it out of the freezer, get what they need and put it back to ensure the cold chain was not “breached”.

Ms Raleigh said each tray came with 195 vials and there were six doses per vial, with two options for thawing the vaccine; it can be left to thaw on the bench for 30 minutes or in the fridge for up to three hours.

If it’s thawed in the fridge it can stay in there for up to five days before it’s used but if thawed outside of a fridge it must be diluted within two hours and administered within six.

IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH THIS VACCINE WE NEED TO WORK VERY QUICKLY, IT’S UNLIKE ANY MEDICATION WE USE NORMALLY BECAUSE THE TIME FRAMES ARE NEVER THIS TIGHT GENERALLY RACHAEL RALEIGH

The Gold Coast vaccination hub has seven rooms but only five will be used to start with. Six patients will receive the injection at a time in each room, with two nurses assigned to a room. After the jab people will spent 15 minutes in a recovery room. An emergency room has also been set-up in the hub.

Ms Raleigh said it was expected that 60 people would be vaccinated every hour, except on the first day of the rollout.

“It really is supply dependent, there’s no point in rushing through the supply if we don’t have anymore

coming in,” she said.