The first COVID-19 vaccines were distributed in the state on Monday, but Door County residents will have to wait a little longer. Door County Medical Center announced on Monday it did not have a supply of vaccines to distribute to the community and it was not taking any appointments from patients to receive them. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jim Heise says a big reason for that is the vaccines themselves. The first vaccines to be distributed were by Pfizer, which needs to be kept at extremely cold temperatures. Those will be distributed via a “hub-and-spoke model,” which means the vaccines will come from a central location like Green Bay before going out to other health care partners. The vaccine produced by Moderna, which can be kept in a standard refrigeration unit, just received its endorsement for emergency use from the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday morning. Heise says he is not sure which one the hospital will receive.

Heise adds that even once Door County does receive COVID-19 vaccines, you will have to fall into certain categories to be eligible.

Until you get vaccinated, Heise recommends getting tested when you show symptoms and follow the proper COVID-19 mitigation practices such as social distancing and masking. You can listen to our full discussion online on our podcasts page.