Marquette County buys new vaccine cooler after failure; grants cover cost

Marquette County Health Officer Jayme Sopha told the Board of Health on June 3 that the department’s primary vaccine cooler failed recently and staff arranged temporary storage and a replacement purchased with grant funds.

Sopha said staff used memoranda of understanding with neighboring health departments to store vaccines while the new unit was ordered, and portable coolers able to maintain proper temperature for more than 24 hours were used to move doses. She said the replacement was purchased at a roughly 40% discount from a vendor promotion and funded through emergency preparedness and federal immunization grants, meaning the purchase will have "a zero-dollar impact on our tax levy."

The failure became apparent, Sopha said, when staff heard the cooler alarming and rushed to secure vaccine inventory; Mel (Melissa Hodges) checked on the unit. The department continues to schedule vaccinations; staff coordinate pickup and return of vaccine shipments so the closest health department with stored inventory transports doses for local appointments.

The board was not asked to allocate local funds for the replacement. Sopha said staff will continue to use the MOUs and portable cold storage to protect inventory while the department integrates the new cooler into operations.