Each dose of coronavirus vaccine has the ability to save a life. So, it’s incredibly important not to miss a drop. Especially at a time when there are not enough doses of it to inoculate the whole country.
A group of public health employees in Josephine County, Oregon is receiving a lot of attention for their dedication to administering the last dose of vaccine.
On Tuesday, a group of 20 health workers got stuck in a snowstorm on the way to a COVID-19 vaccination event in rural Cave Junction, en route to Grants Pass, about 30 miles away.
The journey usually takes about 45 minutes, but a trailer with knives on the road ahead meant that they would be stuck for hours. This meant that the other six doses of COVID-19 vaccine they were carrying would probably expire by the time they reached Grants Pass.
through public health in Josephine County / Facebook
Once a bottle of vaccine is thawed from the frost, the clock starts ticking if it can be given. But after the bottle is perforated, it must be used within six hours or discarded.
So the team decided to start knocking on the windows of the other blocked cars to see if they wanted the vaccine.
“I had an individual who was so happy that he took off his T-shirt and jumped out of the car,” said Michael Weber, Josephine County Public Health Director.
The team also dealt a blow to an employee of County Sheriff Josephine’s office, who had arrived too late at the Cave Junction vaccination event, which was on its way home.
through public health in Josephine County / Facebook
While the efforts of the healthcare team should be applauded, they knew they were in a rather strange situation. “It was a strange conversation,” Weber said. “Imagine you’re stuck on the side of the road in a snowstorm and if you have someone go upstairs and say, ‘Hey. Do you want a blow to the arm? “
Workers were able to administer all six doses of the vaccine before it expired.
“Honestly, once we knew we weren’t going back to town in time to use the vaccine, it was just the obvious choice,” Webber said. “Our number one rule right now is that nothing is wasted.”
According to Josephine Public Health’s Facebook page, Webber says the makeshift vaccination clinic on the road was “one of the coolest operations he had been involved in.”
Oregon currently ranks 24th among states in per capita vaccinations. The state has vaccinated 325,000 of its 4.2 million inhabitants.
Finally, a question remains: Will people who have been vaccinated on the road have a chance of being shot a second booster in a month? Or will they have to wait their turn?
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