Change will allow department to triple vaccinations
The Hamilton County Health Department will start administering first doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday, March 2. Up until now, the site at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville has been administering the Moderna vaccine.
The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) asked the Hamilton County Health Department to make the switch so it could free up the Moderna vaccine for mobile units in rural areas. The Pfizer vaccine must be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit, making it more difficult to transport. ISDH will provide the Hamilton County Health Department with ultra-low temperature storage for the Pfizer vaccine.
The state is also receiving more doses of Pfizer, which will allow the Hamilton County Health Department to administer more doses. The clinic at the 4-H Fairgrounds is one of the busiest clinics in the state. The switch from Moderna to Pfizer will allow the clinic to vaccinate up to 3,540 people a week. It is currently vaccinating 1,200 people per week with Moderna.
Walker
“It’s going to be a challenging few weeks as we transition, but we welcome the challenge,” said Christian Walker, emergency preparedness coordinator. “It means we’ll be able to get more vaccines into the arms of more Hoosiers.”
The switch in vaccines does not affect those who received their first doses of Moderna at the 4-H Fairgrounds. The health department will provide second doses of Moderna through the end of March.