Hundreds of people raced to clinics in Washington state for their chance to get the coronavirus vaccine after a freezer failure put thousands of doses at risk of spoiling.
Around 8.50pm on Thursday, an alarm went off on a freezer unit holding 1,650 doses of the Moderna vaccine at Kaiser Permanente in Seattle, which – if not administered -were due to expire at 3.30am.
Hospital officials contacted two University of Washington Medical Center campuses, in Northwest and Montlake, and the Swedish Medical Center, asking them to take the vaccines and try to get the shots into arms.
Both centers put out the call on social media and asked anyone who was willing and eligible to come in and get the vaccine.
Crowds showed up, a few even in their pajamas, standing outside in the cold night and waiting for their chance to receive the COVID-19 inoculation.
Hundreds of Washington residents waited outside, some in their pajamas, to receive a coronavirus vaccine after a freezer containing dosed malfunction. Pictured (left and right): A healthcare worker vaccinates a woman, who said she is 75 and runs a daycare, on a sidewalk outside of a last-minute COVID-19 vaccine event at Seattle University on Friday morning
Coronavirus vaccine doses were sent to two University of Washington Medical Center locations, in Northwest and Montlake, and the Swedish Medical Center, after the freezer alarm went off at Kaiser Permanente on Thursday night. Pictured: Deliveries of coronavirus vaccines arrive at Swedish on Thursday night
The freezer contained 1,650 doses of the Moderna vaccine that were set to expire at 3.30am unless they were administered. Pictured: People wait in line for a last-minute COVID-19 vaccine event at Seattle University after a freezer failure, Friday morning
People wait in a parking garage for a last-minute COVID-19 vaccine event at Seattle University after a freezer failure, Friday morning
Swedish Medical Center tweeted about the emergency on social media and was able to fill the appointments within 30 to 45 minutes (above)
Kaiser Permanente sent nearly 1,000 of the doses to UW Medicine’s two clinics and almost 600 were given at Swedish Medical Center.
Some centers, such as Swedish Medical Center, put out a call on Twitter, hoping people would respond.
‘URGENT: We have 588 DOSE 1 MODERNA appointments available January 28 11 p.m. to January 29 2 a.m.,’ the medical center tweeted.
‘Click link to book. For additional slots through to 2 a.m. click on SHOW MORE and select TOMORROW. Must be Phase 1a or Phase 1B / Tier 1.’
People in these phases and tiers include essential and frontline workers as well as senior citizens.
Kevin Brooks, chief operating officer of Swedish, told KING 5 a plan was put together by 9.30pm and that all available appointments filled up within 35 to 40 minutes of that tweet.
By 10pm, volunteer staff members at Swedish were onsite and, by 11pm, the doors were open for anyone that had booked a last minute appointment. Pictured: People are vaccinated at Swedish on Thursday night or Friday morning
Among those vaccinated were Tyson Greer, 77, who said she had been waiting up late at night trying to secure a vaccine appointment
Pharmacists vaccinated people between 11pm and 3am and say none of the doses spoiled or were wasted. Pictured: People wait in line for a last-minute COVID-19 vaccine event at Seattle University early Friday morning
Officials said everyone who received a first dose, even if they are not an essential worker or senior citizen, will be able to get a second dose. Pictured: Healthcare workers distribute vaccines late into the night at a last-minute COVID-19 vaccine event at Seattle University, Friday morning
Hospital officials say most people vaccinated fell within the guidelines, but the priority was making sure no doses spoiled. Pictured: People get vaccinated at Swedish Medical Center on Thursday night or Friday morning
‘We got a call from a partner hospital that they had a fridge malfunction and they needed to vaccinate 880 people,’ Brooks said.
‘I pulled our team together, our vaccine team at Swedish, and we huddled on Microsoft Teams and came up with a plan, and 30 minutes later we came on site.’
By 10pm, volunteer staff members were onsite and by 11pm, the doors were open for anyone that had booked a last minute appointment.
Brooks said most people vaccinated fell within the guidelines, but the priority was making sure no doses spoiled.
‘We’re doing the best we can to stay within the CDC and the governor’s guidelines on prioritization,’ he told KING 5.
‘At the same time, we want to make sure not a single drop of the vaccine goes wasted.’
So far, more than 26.1 million people – about 7.9 percent of the population – have been vaccinated (abvoe)
On Monday President Joe Biden said he would like to get 1.5 million shots in arms every day during his first 100 days in office (above)
According to Esmy Jiminez, who got her vaccine at Swedish and recounted her experience to KUOW, by 2am, people got tired of standing and sat on the concrete outside.
‘Hospital staff would walk by periodically to count how many people remained, and how many would get vaccinated in the night,’ she said.
‘It seemed they had processed about half the group there.’
By 3am, there were just 30 vaccines left to distribute.
Meanwhile, according to UW spokesperson Susan Gregg, UW Medicine clinics vaccinated people between 11pm and 2.30am.
Similarly, word had spread via social media and even appearing on local news stations’ 11pm newscasts.
Cassie Sauer of the Washington State Hospital Association, told the Seattle Times that no doses were wasted and that everyone who received a shot will get a second one at the same hospital.
So far, more than 26.1 million people – about 7.9 percent of the population – have been vaccinated.
On Monday President Joe Biden said he would like to get 1.5 million shots in arms every day during his first 100 days in office.
This is an an increase from his pledge of 100 million shots in 100 days laid out before his inauguration.
Federal Emergency Management Agency has asked the Pentagon to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine to meet Biden’s goal of 1.5 million shots a day. pictured: embers of the Nevada National Guard at the COVID-19 site at Cashman Center, Las Vegas. The Pentagon said its assistance will likely involve a mix of active-duty National Guard and reserve troops performing ‘a variety of coronavirus related tasks’
It comes as the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asks the Pentagon to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine to meet Biden’s goal of 1.5 million shots a day.
The Pentagon’s top spokesman said on Thursday it had received a request to assist with getting shots in the arms of Americans across different parts of the country.
‘The Department of Defense has received a request from FEMA for assistance in administering COVID-19 vaccine at various locations across the country,’ Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
‘The Department is evaluating the request, and what kinds of support it can provide.’
Kirby added that ‘given the significance of the request it will be reviewed urgently but carefully’ to determine what military assets can be safely made available to help the vaccine rollout.
‘As [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] has said, DOD is committed to do as much as it possibly can to assist the whole-of-government effort against COVID-19,’ he added.
The Pentagon said its assistance will likely involve a mix of active-duty National Guard and reserve troops performing ‘a variety of coronavirus related tasks’
