Colorado Posts Video Of Vaccine 'Dry Run' From DIA To Vail

Colorado is preparing to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine in three phases over the next nine months, and those distributions must go smoothly, public health officials said. If something goes wrong, doses may be wasted.

The Colorado Unified Coordination Center completed an exercise this week to test its ability to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine from the Denver International Airport to a distribution facility, officials said.

In the 4-hour exercise, the vaccine arrived at the airport and it was loaded onto a secure vehicle and driven to Vail Health, which is one of eight distribution centers across the state. The training also allowed agencies to train for the hand-to-hand transportation of the vaccine, and for problematic scenarios, such as disruptions to transportation routes, officials said.

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At Vail Health, the vaccine was placed in a refrigerator and then removed for a practice injection. Each step included security protocols, some of which will allow the state to monitor its supply of the vaccine so not one dose of vaccine is wasted, officials said.

Our state has placed an initial order for 46,800 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations, which are expected to be approved by the Federal Drug Administration between Friday and Monday, officials said. Colorado is expected to receive the order between Dec. 13 and Dec. 16.

A second shipment — 95,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine — is expected by Dec. 23, officials said.

In a news conference Wednesday, Gov. Jared Polis explained how the vaccines will work.

"The first dose will be given and then 25 days later, you'll get a second dose of the vaccine and then two weeks later, you're immune," Polis said.