Back order leaves New Milford out in the cold
Delay of Pfizer-friendly freezer hampers efforts to expand COVID-19 vaccinations
NEW MILFORD — The town has been waiting for two months for word about its back-ordered Pfizer freezer.
But the latest update suggested it could be late May or early June before the high-demand freezers are back in stock, said Health Director Lisa Morrissey.
The local clinic has been able to administer only the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines because they don’t have the proper equipment to store the Pfizer vaccine. The town needs an ultra-cold freezer that can store vaccine vials between minus 112 and minus 76 degrees Farenheit.
The lack of the ultra-cold freezer means the town can’t vaccinate the town’s
youngest eligible members as, the Pfizer vaccine is the only one approved for those under age 18.
Morrissey said introducing Pfizer capability would help provide more vaccines to the area — the state recently approached the town to serve as a regional vaccine site — without forcing residents to travel farther away to find it.
In that sense, “that freezer is critical,” she said.
New Milford has been trying to secure this freezer since Morrissey took over as health director at the end of January. In her first meeting with Mayor Pete Bass on January 29, Morrissey said they discussed starting local clinics, and the following Monday, began searching for the proper equipment.
The town had a budget of roughly $11,500 to cover two freezers — one for Moderna and the other for Pfizer — as well as a refrigerator
where the vaccines thaw out before use at clinics, Morrissey said. They selected a $6,000 ultra-cold freezer, one of the cheaper models available. But due to high demand, it has been back-ordered.
A different version of the freezer could be delivered within the next week or two, but would cost about $15,000.
“We’re getting to that point where we’re going to have to make a decision about what we’re going to do,” she said.
Using more money for the freezer would mean less funds for staffing and critical outreach, including important equity initiatives with seniors and non-native English speakers.
“Any money that I use towards these freezers potentially takes away from these initiatives,” Morrissey said. “We really are trying to work within the community to see if we can come up with some creative solutions to (getting the freezer).”
The Moderna freezer came within three to four weeks of ordering.
If the town can’t figure out how to obtain a Pfizerfriendly freezer before the April 5 eligibility expansion date, Morrissey said they would continue working with Nuvance Health and Danbury Hospital to provide doses to 16- and 17year-olds. This would involve transporting doses the day of a clinic from Danbury to New Milford, which Morrissey said was “not the most ideal” scenario.
“We don’t have as much flexibility in terms of shifting plans,” she said.
The town has already received inquiries from the public and private schools regarding the possibility of closed clinics for eligible students. Officials planned to meet Tuesday to discuss plans for a potential clinic, Morrissey said.
A potential issue to the vaccination of minors involves the legal aspects of vaccinating unaccompanied minors who are able to drive themselves to the clinic, Morrissey said. As such, the town is trying to work with their lawyers to figure out a best path forward in those scenarios.
A Pfizer clinic — whether open or closed — would also need to have a test run to iron out any problems, she said.
“We’ve had really large clinics,” Morrissey said. “The last thing we want to do is have a clinic with 600 people and we’re (trying) out a new process.”