Adventist Health hospital gives 850 COVID-19 vaccines in 2.5 hours after refrigerator fails

Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Medical Center in California quickly administered 850 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 4 after discovering the refrigerator holding them had failed and the vaccines were thawing, SFGate reported. 

Advertisement

The hospital learned in the late morning that the refrigerator holding Mendocino County’s most recent allotment of Moderna vaccines had stopped working around 2 a.m. and staff only had two and a half hours to get the vaccines into people’s arms before they spoiled. 

Judson Howe, CFO of Adventist Health Howard Memorial, told SFGate the hospital aimed to vaccinate high-risk people first, but the top priority was making sure no vaccines went to waste. They gave several dozen doses to a nursing home and 200 to the county, which gave the vaccines to county workers and jail inmates. The remaining 600 doses were given to the general public on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

Adventist Health rapidly set up four vaccination centers, three on the hospital campus and one in a local church, according to SFGate, and had 40 employees administering shots at the sites. They got word out to the public about the vaccines through social media and by calling nursing homes and other facilities, as well as by word of mouth. 

Read the full article here.

More articles on pharmacy:
US won’t get AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine until April, Warp Speed chief says
Pfizer to offer COVID-19 vaccines to trial participants who received placebo
6 reasons COVID-19 vaccine rollout is going slower than expected

Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit

Advertisement

Next Up in Pharmacy

Advertisement

Comments are closed.