A freezer in Washington has asked clinics at the University of Seattle and the University of Washington to vaccinate thousands overnight.
Non-profit healthcare system Swedish tweeted late Thursday night that there were 588 Moderna coronavirus vaccine appointments available from 11pm to 2am. A freezer that stored 1,650 doses of Moderna vaccine at Kaiser Permanente has broken down, meaning the doses could expire, reports KING 5 in Seattle.
All appointments were made shortly after the tweet was posted, Swedish said on Twitter.
All 1,650 doses were eventually administered the same evening, Swedish Medical Center chief Kevin Brooks told NBC News.
Brooks was part of the team that made sure the vaccines did not go to waste.
In the tweet from Swedish, Phase 1A and Phase 1B / Tier 1 volunteers were asked.
“We could support another health care organization and ensure that no doses go to waste,” Brooks said. “It was touching to see grandmothers being vaccinated in wheelchairs at 2am.”
This sudden announcement of extra vaccines has left some Seattle residents wondering when it would be their turn to receive their vaccine, but Brooks is confident their clinics will help if they have enough doses.
“I reflect on the journey our Covid-19 patients have treated in our ICUs, and how we are all now inspired to administer the vaccine,” Brooks said. “Ending this pandemic is within reach!”