COVID-19 doses are a "very precious resource." That's the message the Department of Health Services' deputy secretary is sending to vaccinators. So what happens when there are extra doses?
"Once you've opened a vial and reconstituted it, you cannot put it back in the refrigerator or the freezer. You have to use all the doses in that vial," said deputy secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk. "This is not like most of our other childhood vaccines that you just take them out of the fridge when you need them and put them back."
Western Lakes Fire District is one of the fire departments in Waukesha County currently vaccinating people in Phases 1a or 1b. Currently, they are vaccinating health care workers and law enforcement officers. They've administered about 3,000 doses over the last two weeks.
Chief Brad Bowen's clinic uses the Pfizer vaccine, and he said managing the logistics can be tricky.
"Once it's diluted, we've got six hours to get it in an arm," Bowen said.
Bowen said the staff members only take vials out of the fridge based on the exact number of people coming in that day to get vaccinated.