Photo By Staff Sgt. Wren Fiontar | U.S. Air Force Maj. Crystal Karahan, 39th Medical Support Squadron Medical Logistics...... read more read more
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The first doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, intended to inoculate essential leadership and first responders, was delivered to Incirlik Air Base via a C-130J Super Hercules on January 7.
The vaccine required special cold conditions to not spoil during travel, so standard ground transport methods that supplied the base were ruled out.
“We worked with vaccine manufacturers to find a solution that could get us a supply overseas,” said Master Sgt. Jessica Lyn Probst, 39th Medical Support Squadron Medical Logistics flight chief. “The Moderna RNA vaccine was available and had a more sustainable temperature for transport, so after that was figuring out how to get it here intact.”
Airmen from the 39th Medical Logistics team faced this urgent logistics problem and developed a workaround with the help of the 37th Airlift Squadron out of Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
“It’s not always an easy feat to bring things here, we have plenty of barriers that arose,” Probst said. “We don’t have air-mail delivery like most bases, and we had concerns about sending it such a distance by ground with its need to stay cold. Travel restrictions by commercial air made that hard too, so we worked with our U.S. Air Force Europe, U.S. Army Materiel Command and Defense Logistics Agency partners to have it shipped on a military cargo flight out of Germany.”
Medical Logistics Airmen directly secured supplies of the vaccine from the flight line, ensured that the doses had survived transport, and then immediately followed CDC and manufacturer guidelines for dethawing it for medical providers.
“Medical Logistics is part of the base’s COVID-19 working group that works to coordinate acquisition of the vaccine and providing it to Airmen,” said Staff Sgt. Briuk Heim, 39th MDSS Medical Logistics customer service NCO in charge. “We are starting Phase-1 distribution, which is essential personnel, security and first responders.”
The 39th Medical Group coordinated closely with their logistics department to arrange a fast turnaround for dispensing the vaccine to Airmen, wasting no time to help increase base readiness by performing the first inoculations the next day on January 8.
“Our bigger picture is this a push to help move back towards normal,” Heim said. “We are making extra effort to educate everyone on the facts about the vaccine and COVID-19 to help encourage people to get it.”
The Air Force is committed to protecting its Airmen in the face of a pandemic while remaining mission ready and vigilant at all times to protect the interests of the U.S. and its allies. Vaccinations are a significant step, but the Department of Defense and the Center for Disease Control both strongly encourage Airmen to continue practicing safe distancing and sanitation habits going forward.
| Date Taken: | 01.13.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2021 02:28 |
| Story ID: | 389669 |
| Location: | TR |
| Web Views: | 62 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, COVID-19 vaccine supplied by 39th Medical Logistics team, by SSgt Wren Fiontar, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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