Seattle Vaccine Scramble: Freezer failure encourages competition for coronavirus injections

“”We were literally … Who can gather people here? People started making text messages and phone calls and we were just counting down, “said Kevin Brooks, Sweden’s Chief Operating Officer, who helped coordinate everything at the Seattle University clinic. .. “37. 35. 33. … People appeared and ran down the hall. “

By the final shot, according to Brooks, staff and volunteers rushed to the road on a cold night and at some point stabbed someone through a car window.One elderly woman in flip flops Was taken As soon as the clock went off, I rolled up my sleeves on the sidewalk.

Was so Familiar Story: In the face of vial expiration, healthcare professionals distribute vaccine doses at maximum speeds, sometimes to those who find them.These instant giveaways are sometimes controversial, both Waste And Out-of-order vaccination The wrath of sparks. Authorities are coordinating a rigorous plan intended to prioritize the most vulnerable people with the urgency of inoculating as many people as possible against the deadly virus as soon as possible.

In the end, none of the soon-to-be-expired doses of over 1,600 in Seattle were wasted, health officials said, huge pressure on millions of Americans immunizing and these vaccines. After a huge scramble that showed both the hope that the dose brought. The nationwide shot rollout has suffered from bottlenecks, frustration and disagreements about who should be protected first. But Thursday nights and Friday mornings were full of purpose and joy, with enthusiastic people lined up in their pajamas, enthusiastic, and at some point happy birthday.

From the early days of the pandemic, Brooks said: “We have been at the forefront of this for many years, and now we also carry the great blessing and burden of vaccination of the community.”

“The term we use is that we are tired and inspiring,” he said. “And these two things are true at the same time.”

The race began around 9 pm, and officials from Sweden and another group, UW Medicine, learned that the refrigeration problem caused dose melting at Kaiser Permanente.

Jenny Bracket, an assistant administrator at the University of Washington School of Medicine, was spending the night at home when the news arrived. She said she had just read about another group scrambled to use the expired vaccine dose a few days ago. -Oregon healthcare workers down the freeway with little wasted time Started giving shots to other drivers In the middle of a snowstorm.

“When I get a call, they’re like” it’s like our snow moment,‘” Bracket said.

“I knew I could take the vaccinated there,” she said. “So I believed in all that element. I knew our nursing team was coming.” Bracket was ready to go to the hospital by about 10 pm and the vaccine She said the dose arrived about an hour later.

“I was a bit like how to pick up 800 people at 10 or 11 pm,” she said. “But it turned out to be perfectly fine, because, as you know, the word spread like a wildfire...“

Authorities say they have done their best to give shots to people who are scheduled for early vaccination. In other words High-risk healthcare professionals and first responders, nursing home residents and staff, people over the age of 65, and people over the age of 50 living in multigenerational households.

“Urgent: 588 DOSE 1 MODERNAs can be booked from 11:00 pm on January 28th to 2:00 am on January 29th.” Swedish Hospital Tweet At 10:59 pm Pacific time, there is a link to the book slot, which limits the registration of high-priority groups who are already vaccinated.

UW Medical Center-Northwest, People like Brackets called on people over the age of 65 to meander down the hallways and walk up and down hundreds of rows spilled out.

“I was a little worried that the line wouldn’t be so excited,” she said. “You know I’m letting others go first. But that wasn’t the response I had. In fact, the crowd cheered a kind...“

Also, throughout the site, officials and employees called workers to union leaders, police, firefighters, and even local grocery stores to target doses. At least I was able to warn if I couldn’t go to the current vaccination stage. People in the next row.

After all, many shots were released to the public. “The comprehensive rule was not to waste anything,” said Cathy Sauer, chairman of the Washington State Hospital Association, and sent a text message to the governor’s office and public health authorities all night with the latest information. Stated.

For some observers, the overnight success in Seattle seemed to be evidence that the country’s vaccination process could go faster. “Idea: Always immunize with this level of urgency,” said a journalist. Tweet..

But Sauer said it wasn’t that simple — at least for now.

“My dad is 80 years old and has Parkinson’s disease and has exercise problems,” she said. “He can’t wait for the vaccine for hours. He needs a promise.”

“I think this works as a one-off emergency. It could work once you get to the place where you’re actually vaccinated with a general public vaccine,” she added. “But at this point … I think we need to think strategically about fairness.”

Esmy Jimenez, a 27-year-old reporter, reported on scrambling Thursday night, but managed to get shot. Towards the end, she was calling her best friend, her old roommate and fellow journalist, as the staff said the last dose was about to end.

“Get in the car now,” she ordered.

Carolyn Grant, a longtime nurse leader at the University of Washington School of Medicine, came out to apply for prompt vaccination. She retired for several months last March, supporting a drive-through test site and “monitoring national numbers every day.”

On Thursday night, she was thrilled to see so many people flocking to the vaccine and others (still skeptical) across the United States refused.

Grant was 64 and a half years old and missed the latest vaccination phase. But by 1 am, the line had diminished and she was shot, she said.