The Virgin Islands Department of Health will engage in the national COVID-19 "End to End" drill to test the Pfizer vaccine’s delivery, receipt, and redistribution, D.O.H. has made known. Facilitated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the drill is scheduled to begin today and runs through the week.
According to local health officials, the drill involves testing the ordering, delivery, and reporting receipt of the Pfizer vaccine in the territory during the first of three phases. Specific to the territory is the redistribution of the vaccine from facilities with ultra-cold refrigeration to providers who will administer the vaccine. D.O.H. said it has collaborated with federal and local partners, including the CDC, FEMA, VITEMA, and the Virgin Islands National Guard, to carry out a Hub and Spoke logistical approach.
Two facilities with ultra-cold refrigeration units on St. Croix and St. Thomas will act as vaccine hubs or places where the vaccine will be stored, D.O.H. said. Six of the 15 healthcare providers who signed up to participate in the Covid-19 Vaccination Program will administer the vaccine or be the ‘spokes’ in the drill where persons may receive the vaccine.
The amount of Pfizer vaccine in the drill will be limited to 975 doses for the territory, which requires additional logistical effort to split the doses between each island and inter-island transport from one hub to the other. The vaccines will initially arrive at the hub on St. Croix, then be transferred to St. Thomas, after which both islands will carry out transporting the vaccine from the hub to the spokes.
The Immunization program will report receiving the vaccine and the redistribution effort to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including challenges and successes. This tactic will be utilized until the Moderna vaccine is available, requiring 2 to 8-degree storage, which most healthcare providers in the Virgin Islands can accommodate, allowing the vaccine to be shipped to them directly. The few healthcare providers with ultra-cold storage units may continue ordering the Pfizer vaccine, which will also be delivered to them directly.
Populations deemed critical will be vaccinated during the first phase and include clinical staff, first responders, persons with immunocompromised conditions, and those in long-term care facilities. The subsequent phases will include the elderly, behavioral health patients– specifically the chronically homeless–and incarcerated persons. By the spring of 2021, the vaccine will be available for the wider public and children. The Department of Health encouraged the community to get the flu vaccine as part of overall immunity and continue being vigilant in practicing social distancing, wearing protective masks, and washing hands.
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