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North Canton Pharmacy is Ready to Administer COVID-19 Vaccine in Long-Term Care Facilities

vaccine
Carlos Osorio
/
AFP/Getty Images
A health care worker prepares to administer a Pfizer/BioNTEch COVID-19 vaccine at The Michener Institute in Toronto Dec. 14. "Phase 1A" of Ohio's vaccine distribution plan is underway following the FDA approval of the vaccine candidate for Emergency Use Authorization.

Absolute Pharmacy in North Canton is set to begin administering Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to long-term care facilities around Northeast Ohio as early as Friday.

The company is handling the cold chain management, on-site vaccinations, and fulfillment of reporting requirements.

Beth Husted is the coronavirus vaccine director for Absolute Pharmacy.

Beth Husted - Absolute Pharmacy
Beth Husted: managing the vaccines

“Once received in the ultralow temperature thermal shipping device, we are then transferring them to a local hospital partner [Aultman Hospital in Canton] who has an ultralow temperature freezer for storage until we then will work with each of these facilities that we have been assigned so that we can come on-site and provide the COVID vaccine,” Husted said.

She said her team will visit more than 100 long-term care facilities. At each one, there will be several opportunities to receive the first dose of the vaccine.

The second shot is given 21 days later. All staff and residents are eligible to get the vaccine after signing a consent form.

Connor Steffen is a junior at Kent State studying journalism. Connor is a member of TV2 News, Kent State's student-run television station, where he serves as the executive producer for all news operations. He also anchors, reports and produces for the station. After graduation, Connor hopes to work as a reporter at a local news station.