Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Worries Over Ultra-Low Temperature Requirement Of Vaccines Play Out
CNN: When A Freezer Broke In A California Hospital, Officials Jumped To Action To Administer More Than 800 Vaccines In Just About 2 Hours
When a freezer that was used to store the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at a Northern California hospital broke, officials soon realized they only had about two hours to administer the more than 800 doses that were inside. And they took on the challenge. (Chan and Maxouris, 1/6)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Ukiah Valley Med Center Discovers Thawing Vaccine Vials
A refrigerator holding vials of coronavirus vaccine failed at Ukiah Valley Medical Center on Monday, prompting a frantic effort to inoculate hundreds of people in less than three hours before the medicine expired. By the time staff discovered the problem, 830 doses of the Moderna vaccine had been thawing for more than nine hours, Ukiah Valley Medical Center chief medical officer Dr. Bessant Parker said. The medical center had little choice but to distribute the vaccine freely and rapidly, including members of the general public who heard about the emergency and lined up outside the medical center in hopes of getting a shot. (Barber, 1/4)
New York Post: NY Nursing Home Says COVID-19 Vaccines Spoiled By Defrosting
An upstate nursing home that was expecting all residents and some staff to get the coronavirus vaccine on Monday says many had to go without — because CVS had “lost” doses due to “temperature control issues.” (Hogan, 1/5)
Also —
The Washington Post: Website Crashes And Other Tech Problems Plague Early Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout
Technical problems are already hampering the early rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. Websites in multiple large Florida counties buckled from a surge of traffic in recent days as seniors attempted to book appointments for their vaccinations. Many were instead met with error messages. Outages were reported in Broward, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. (Zakrzewski, 1/5)
The Hill: Website Crashes Mar Early Coronavirus Vaccine Rollouts
Website crashes and tech glitches are afflicting the U.S. coronavirus vaccine rollout that is already behind schedule based on the goals the Trump administration set out. Several counties in Florida experienced delays and website crashes on Monday, and the largest county in Texas had to take its website down as ineligible residents tried to book slots. (Klar, 1/5)
Fort Myers News-Press: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Spars With CNN Reporter Over Vaccine Rollout
During a tense exchange with a CNN reporter on Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blamed the largest hospital operator in Southwest Florida for causing seniors in one county to wait in long lines and even camp overnight for access to COVID-19 vaccinations. (Gluck and Greenockle, 1/5)
