Morristown Medical Ready If Called Upon To Store COVID Vaccines

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday that several New Jersey hospitals will receive the state's initial coronavirus vaccine doses. Murphy didn't confirm which facilities will receive them, but Morristown Medical Center has the necessary technology for coronavirus vaccines if called upon.

Northjersey.com reported that six New Jersey hospitals, including Morristown Medical Center, would receive the Garden State's initial vaccine shipments. A spokesperson for Atlantic Health System, the hospital's parent company, couldn't confirm that Morristown Medical Center would receive the shipment.

Murphy was also mum Friday when asked to confirm whether the six hospitals in the northjersey.com report would receive the initial vaccine shipments. But Murphy announced several New Jersey hospitals would receive a total of 76,000 doses of Pfizer's vaccine.

The shipments will also test the effectiveness of the freezers holding them. Not all hospitals have the subzero freezers necessary to store the vaccines, but Atlantic Health System has them.

Dr. Jan Schwarz-Miller, Atlantic Health System's chief medical and academic officer, sent Patch the following statement via a spokesperson:

"Atlantic Health System began preparing for the anticipated approval of a COVID-19 vaccine months ago and has already acquired ultra-cold freezers at nearly all of our medical centers, capable of holding thousands of doses of vaccine, with more freezer equipment on order. Our team will be fully prepared to provide vaccinations at many of our existing facilities across the region, as well as new locations we are currently exploring.

"In addition to acquiring equipment, Atlantic Health System is training our caregivers, onboarding new team members and refining workflows to operate with an all-hands-on-deck approach. Based on daily conversations with State and Federal leaders, we are working around the clock to ensure that we are ready as soon as vaccines receive their emergency use authorization (EUA) and the final plans for delivery and distribution are announced."

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Atlantic Health System's hospitals also include Newton Medical Center, Chilton Medical Center, Hackettstown Medical Center, Goryeb Children's Hospital, Overlook Medical Center and Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute.

Hospitals will receive the initial shipment by Dec. 15, Murphy told PIX11. It wasn't immediately clear when medical professionals could begin administering vaccines — Pfizer's also awaits emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration at Thursday's meeting. But Murphy says employees in health care and at longterm-care facilities will get first priority.

Read more: NJ Streamlines Vaccine Distribution, Provides New Timing Details

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