Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued the following announcement on Nov. 23.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Operation Warp Speed (OWS) have chosen Colorado to participate in a pilot run of the end-to-end logistics readiness test for COVID-19 vaccine distribution. CDC is conducting the test with external partners (Pfizer, McKesson, UPS, FedEx) as well as ten jurisdictions, including the state of Colorado.
Colorado is prepared to receive and distribute COVID-19 vaccine(s) as soon as one becomes available. Participating in the end-to-end test is an opportunity to increase operational readiness as well as evaluate the state’s ability to coordinate, communicate, and share information from a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, multi-disciplinary standpoint. While the State is participating in this test, we continue to encourage people to avoid in person gatherings, wear a mask when outside of your home and stay six feet away from others.
During the test, Colorado public health officials are expected to:
- Identify a provider location that will receive the test vaccine shipment.
- Ensure orders have been submitted to CDC’s Vaccine Tracking System (VTrckS) using a fake national drug code.
- Receive a thermal shipper without vaccine and ‘mock’ ancillary kits.
- Report receipt of shipper and kits.
A second test will be held on Nov. 30 with 52 additional jurisdictions, federal partners, and select pharmacy partners. Colorado will not participate in this second test.
Original source can be found here.