A group of Oregon health workers, trapped in the snow, decided to offer coronavirus vaccines to their stranded fellow drivers to avoid wasting their remaining doses of medicine.
According to the New York Times, Michael Weber, public health director for Josephine County, Oregon, was stranded in the middle of the road during a snowstorm. He and a group of public health workers were carrying doses of the Modern vaccine to Grants Pass, about 30 miles from the location.
Realizing that they could get stuck on the road for hours, the group of health workers decided to offer the vaccine to those who were also trapped around it. Weber told the Times that most drivers laughed and turned down the shot because of the unusual nature of the situation. According to Weber, a doctor and an ambulance were present to oversee the administration.
“We had such a happy individual that he took off his T-shirt and jumped out of the car,” Weber said.
“It was a weird conversation,” Weber added. “Imagine getting caught on the side of the road in a snowstorm and making someone come up and say,‘ Hey. Do you want a shot in the arm? »
Six doses of the vaccine were finally administered on the snow-laden road, the Times reports.
“Honestly, once we knew we wouldn’t be back in town in time to use the vaccine, it was just the obvious choice,” Weber said, saying it was “one of the funniest operations.”
“Our No. 1 rule right now is that nothing is wasted.”
The Hill has contacted Josephine County Public Health for more details on the story.
According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, to date, some 600,000 doses have been distributed in Oregon with more than 325,000 doses administered.