When will a COVID-19 vaccine become available in Winneshiek County?

Winneshiek County Public Health Director Krista Vanden Brink says she is expecting to receive a small allocation of COVID-19 vaccine some time in December.

That is a good sign, but Vanden Brink stresses that the vaccine will be given to a "priority group," such as medical workers or another group of people who come into contact with COVID-19 patients.  The details of that distribution have yet to be determined.

As for a general distribution of COVID-19 vaccine, many experts are predicting that won't happen until March or April of next year.  There are also some issues to be worked out on the storage of the vaccine.  The vaccine developed by Pfizer requires shipping containers use dry ice to maintain the ultra-cold temperature of -70 degrees Celsius for up to 15 days.  Vaccine storage would require similar conditions, with freezers costing $10,000 to $15,000 apiece which could handle the very cold temperatures.

Vanden Brink also says the announced release date of the vaccine has been delayed twice so far, so future delays could be possible as well.