OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma agricultural research organization announced Monday it will donate 11 ultra-cold freezers to the state that health officials say will help expedite the distribution of coronavirus vaccines.
The freezers, donated by the Noble Research Institute based in Ardmore, will allow more Oklahomans to receive the vaccine at their local health care providers, limiting travel for people during the pandemic, Oklahoma Deputy Health Commissioner Keith Reed said. The Pfizer vaccine must be shipped and stored at ultra-cold temperatures.
“These storage units are a critical piece in providing all Oklahomans, whether in a rural or urban area, with equal access to the COVID-19 vaccine,” Reed said in a statement.
Through Saturday, the most recent data available from the Oklahoma State Department of Health, nearly 30,000 doses of the 122,750 vaccines the state has received so far have been distributed, or less than 25%. But Reed said a lag in data entry can lead to some underreporting of vaccine administration information.
Reed noted that delays in administering the vaccines are largely tied to ensuring the first to receive it are priority populations, including front-line health care workers and staff and residents of long-term care facilities.
“I am not sure we would ever be fully satisfied with the rate at which we are able to convert a shipment of vaccine doses into vaccinated Oklahomans, as we would ideally like to be able to immediately vaccinate everyone,” Reed said, “but there are logistical requirements necessary to set up clinics and process patients.”