Decatur Pharmcay Approved to Distribute Vaccine

WAAY-31's Sydney Martin discloses a Decatur Pharmacy approved to distribute the Corona Virus vaccine.

Waay 31's sydney martin is live outside the pharmacy after getting a first-hand look at their preparations.

Sydney?

Dan, najahe - payless pharmacy told me right now their main focus is getting the freezers set up to store the vaccine.

They're expecting to start using those when they recieve the vaccine, which right now they think could be as early as february.

Chris matthews, pharmacist, "we want to be a part of the solution to what's going on.

We are excited to get this.

They're hard to find.

We are just getting everything in line so we're ready to go when it gets approved."

Chris matthews is a pharmacist at payless pharmacy.

He's also the vaccine coordinator there.

He told me he's spent months filling out paperwork so they could be one of the sites to distribute the coronavirus vaccine.

Owner and pharmacist black gowen told me they spent thousands of dollars to purchase a freezer that can hold the pfizer vaccine - which must be stored at ulta-cold temperatures.

Blake gowen, pharmacist, "it's one of the ones where the cost is more.

But when you put a life on it.

It's worth it if it saves one life."

Chris matthews, pharmacist, "crazy cold.

It's not your normal everyday freezer.

You have to have a special thermometer to make sure you keep it at that degree too.

You have to have special gear to get in there.

It has to have a lock on it so it's going to be a learning process for all of us actually."

The freezer arrived over the weekend.

They're planning to use it to store nine hundred and seventy-five doses of the pfizer vaccine - and said they wanted to buy one while they were still available!

Chris matthews, pharmacist, "it is extremely important.

This freezer is going to be big for the pfizer vaccine that's coming out.

Well for both of them.

But you can tell it gets to -86 degrees celsius."

Matthews explained that it's vital that anyone who gets the vaccine comes back for the second dose.

And he says they're already working on their plan to make the process as seamless as possible.

Chris matthews, pharmacist, "the 12th day after the first shot you start showing a little bit of immunity.

They do not guarantee it until a week after the second shot.

That's where the 95 percent effective comes in.

So it's extremely important to get that second shot."

Gowen told me they'll be ready to start distribution as soon as they get the green light from the state.

Blake gowen, pharmacist, " the virus has impacted a lot of these lives in our community and it's hit hard.

So we just want to throw a punch back at it."

Now the pharmacy told me while they wait for the vaccine to become available they're recommending people who have the virus to take vitamin c and d as well as zinc..

And they're seeing it fly off the shelves.

Live in huntsville sm waay 31 news.

The phramacy said it also has freezer space for the moderna vaccine that doesn't have to be held at such a low temperature..

They expect to recieve any and all coronavirus vaccines that hit the market.