COVID-19 Vaccines Arrive at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale

The first doses of COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in the northwest suburbs. Crews unloaded shipments of the Pfizer vaccine at North Memorial Health Hospital shortly before 7 a.m.

“This is just the beginning,” said North Memorial Health CEO, Dr. Kevin Croston. “We have a lot of work to do.”

The vaccine has to be kept at ultra-cold temperatures, as low as -100 degrees Fahrenheit. It was packed in dry ice, and once it’s out of the box has to be moved to a freezer in under five minutes. Paul Krogh, system director for pharmacy services, opened the package and quickly transported them to the cooler. Krogh spoke to CCX News Monday about the vaccine.

“The fact we can vaccinate our staff on the front lines who have been just grinding on this, coming into work everyday with that fear that they are going to make a mistake that there’s going to be a break, they are going to touch a surface that has a virus on it, or they are going to have to go home and take it to their families, if we could remove that risk for them, then that is a win,” said Croston.

Robbinsdale