Marshfield Clinic Health System to Serve as Initial Distribution Site for COVID-19 Vaccine

Tuesday, December 8th, 2020 -- 10:01 AM

(Marshfield News Herald) -Marshfield Clinic Health System says it will serve as an initial distribution site for the COVID-19 vaccine to the rest of north central Wisconsin once the vaccine is available.

Vaccines are anticipated to be distributed to hubs across the state around Dec. 15, according to a statement from the health system Monday. U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials will meet on Dec. 10 to discuss Pfizer’s emergency-use authorization for the vaccine. If it goes as expected, the drug developed by Pfizer will go out to local hubs across Wisconsin.  The state’s health department will then provide Marshfield Clinic Health System with vaccines, which will then be distributed to other health care systems, public health departments, vaccinating organizations and long-term care facilities.  Front-line health care workers and long-term care facilities will be the first to receive the vaccine.

“Marshfield Clinic Health System has been preparing for a COVID-19 vaccine for the past several months,” CEO Susan Turney said in a statement. “We are ready to store and administer the vaccine as soon as it is available.”  The Marshfield Medical Center in Marshfield was chosen as a hub because of the facility’s ability to store Pfizer's vaccine at an extremely cold temperature, about minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit.  Fifteen of Marshfield Clinic Health System’s hospitals and clinics are enrolled with the state as Phase 1A COVID-19 vaccine administrators.

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