DENVER — One community clinic in Denver is planning to refer patients to outside providers for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine because of the prohibitive cost of storing it in ultracold temperatures.
The vaccine, still under review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will need to be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit. The vaccine can be kept in a refrigerator between 35.6 and 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit for up to five days.
Denver Health said a freezer capable of such ultracold temperatures costs more than $12,000. That figure doesn't include the cost of installation and maintenance.
"It’s way out of our price range with the vaccine that requires the ultracold," said Dr. Randall Craig, the chief medical officer of the Inner City Health Center. "It's just not feasible for a small clinic."
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said there will be eight deep cold storage hubs across the state.
During the first phase of distribution, there will be a mix of 275 public and private vaccine provider locations. A spokesperson for the state said almost every county will have at least one local provider, but some will partner with neighboring counties.
According to the state, as the vaccine becomes more widely available, the network of providers will grow.
While widespread distribution is still months away, Craig and his colleagues said they are expecting to refer patients to their partners for the Pfizer vaccine.
"Some of our patients will be high risk and some will end up being in phase three," Craig said. "We have a period of time where we can work out the kinks and figure out what our referral patterns will be."
While he's encouraged cost will not prevent anyone from being vaccinated, Craig said he worries the additional location may create a barrier for the underserved.
"As we've observed the COVID pandemic and the medical response, it's become more obvious that certain zip codes, certain ethnic groups tend to be underserved," Craig said. "We're trying to address that in inequality."
While some of his patients remain nervous about any vaccine for COVID-19, Craig said he expects "most people interested or willing to go to a second location."
He is also looking at the possibility of providing the Moderna vaccine, once approved by the FDA, to his patients on-site but will need more information on handling and shelf-life.
The doctor said he is expecting he and other public and private health care providers will use the many months before widespread distribution of any vaccine to answer some of the unknowns and ensure the underserved aren't left behind.
"I think it's very important for us to stay true to our vision of this clinic. It'll be a priority for us to try to step into the gap and do what we can to minimize that as a possibility," Craig said.
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