A Lonza Biologics employee in Portsmouth drains residual liquid from equipment used in the manufacture of the vaccine Moderna has developed against COVID-19 infections.
A Lonza Biologics employee in Portsmouth drains residual liquid from equipment used in the manufacture of the vaccine Moderna has developed against COVID-19 infections. Credit: Courtesy of Lonza Biologics

Portsmouth will soon put out a public push for volunteers who can administer vaccines, with the first deliveries of anticipated emergency-authorized COVID-19 vaccines likely near.

“We would like Portsmouth to be positioned the best we possibly can,” Health Officer Kim McNamara told the city’s Health Subcommittee Tuesday. McNamara said if she gets a phone call about “x number of doses coming to Portsmouth,” the city needs to be prepared.

Two COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be ready by the end of December. Biotechnology company Moderna has requested emergency authorization of its experimental vaccine, which has been engineered by Lonza Biologics in Portsmouth. The U.S. government could potentially start distributing the vaccines in the next few weeks.

So far, Pfizer and Moderna have applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization for their COVID-19 vaccines.

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