PUBLISHED

Five Things to Know About the Vaccine at Duke

An infographic showing that each vial holds 5 vaccines, each tray delivered holds 195 vials, and 2,925 vaccine doses were delivered to Duke in total.
An infographic showing that each vial holds 5 vaccines, each tray delivered holds 195 vials, and 2,925 vaccine doses were delivered to Duke in total.
By Duke Today Staff

The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines has arrived at Duke and will be made available for frontline health care workers. Here are five things to know about the vaccine and what this means for Duke and for North Carolina. (For downloadable photos, soundbites, b-roll and other information for use by the media and Duke community, visit https://duke.app.box.com/v/dukecovidvaccine.)

 

How many vaccines North Carolina has received

North Carolina has currently received 85,800 total vaccine doses. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the state expects to continue to receive shipments of vaccines over the next six months.

An infographic displaying that North Carolina has received 85,800 vaccine doses so far.
 

How many vaccines Duke has received 

The shipment of vaccine from Pfizer that Duke received on Monday, Dec. 14 contained vials with five doses of vaccine each and 195 vials per tray, totalling 2,925 vaccinations. (Each person will require two doses to acquire immunity.)

An infographic showing that each vial holds 5 vaccines, each tray delivered holds 195 vials, and 2,925 vaccine doses were delivered to Duke in total.
 

How the vaccines are being stored

According to vaccine manufacturer Pfizer, the unopened vaccines need to be stored in a deep freezer kept at -70 degrees Celsius (that's -95 Fahrenheit). Special freezers recently acquired by Duke Hospital will be able to maintain these extremely cold temperatures.

An infographic showing that the vaccines must be kept in deep freezers set to -70 degrees Celsius.

 

How the vaccine was tested

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said that 70,000 people participated in clinical trials and the vaccine was found to be 95 percent effective.

An infographic showing that more than 70,000 people participated in clinical trials for two vaccines to see if they are safe and effective. To date, the vaccines are nearly 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 with no safety concerns.

 

Who is getting the vaccine

Currently, doses of the vaccine are in limited supply. Until the vaccine supply increases, vaccinations will first be administered only to those who are most at risk for exposure to COVID-19. In the first phase, 1A, vaccinations will be given to health care workers fighting COVID-19 and long-term care health workers. The next phase, 1B, vaccinations will be made available for adults who are at high risk of severe illness and those at highest risk of exposure. In Phase 2, vaccinations will be available for adults at high risk of exposure and increased risk of severe illness. Phase 3 will cover students and workers in critical industries. In the final phase, 4, vaccines will be made available for everyone who wants one. For more detailed information, visit the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

An infographic showing the phases of the NC COVID-19 vaccination rollout plan.