Winter storms that paralyzed the United States left millions without power and scrambled health officials to protect freezers full of COVID-19 vaccines, which should be kept at extremely low temperatures or run the risk.
Rollovers through Texas took out at least one set of freezers full of the Moderna vaccine; 5,000 doses were sent to a university, a prison and a handful of hospitals before it expired. The Oregon Health Authority moves vaccines to places with power, though the agency does not disclose which storage sites their systems do not have. As part of its storm preparations, Kentucky has provided places containing COVID-19 vaccines with emergency plans.
“For every supplier, they have a generator on site that is ready to go, or they have a partner who … can pack it and supply it right away,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said last week. said a press conference. “It must ensure that no doses and no vials are wasted.”
Power outages are challenging for hospitals and healthcare facilities at the best of times. The healthcare system depends on a steady supply of power to keep people healthy. Facilities need electricity for lights, electronic health records, fans and refrigerators full of medicine. Many people with diseases rely on power in their homes for things like oxygen tanks. During breaks, they also cannot heat or cool their homes to counteract extreme temperatures, which can be dangerous.
Hospitals must have backup generators, but outpatients and community clinics do not have the same regulations. And sometimes generators fail – the freezers in Texas were supposed to be powered by a backup that ultimately did not work.
“We are so used to having uninterrupted power supply,” said Grete Porteous, an anesthetist and emergency medicine specialist at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. The edge in 2019. “It really blows people to understand that it’s very fragile.”
An emergency for public health, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, increases the risks of power outages. Hospitals, public health departments and other health care facilities are already thin. Many physicians are not accustomed to treating patients with limited strength and may need to navigate quickly if they are already trapped for resources. Shelters for people without power, such as heating centers in Texas, can spread the risk of spreading COVID-19, although it is critical not to let people freeze.
And any facility that stores COVID-19 vaccines should pay attention to the freezers that keep them safe, in addition to managing their health records or oxygen supply. Doses are still limited, and any vial lost because it heats up too quickly means fewer people can be protected from COVID-19.
The importance of a power outage for healthcare is always high. But when the system is already unstable and running through one emergency, a second voltage connects the pressure to keep the lights on and keep the freezers running.