A freezer failure in Washington prompted clinics at Seattle University and the University of Washington to vaccinate thousands overnight.
Non-profit health system Swedish tweeted late Thursday night that it had 588 Moderna coronavirus vaccine appointments available from 11 p.m. til 2 a.m. A freezer storing 1,650 doses of the Moderna vaccine at Kaiser Permanente had broken, meaning those doses could expire, KING 5 in Seattle reported.
All appointments were taken shortly after the tweet was posted, Swedish said on Twitter.
All 1,650 doses ended up being administered that night, Swedish Medical Center Chief Operating Officer Kevin Brooks told NBC News.
Brooks was part of the team who made sure the vaccines would not go to waste.
The tweet from Swedish called for Phase 1A and Phase 1B/Tier 1 volunteers.
"We were able to support another healthcare organization and ensure that no doses went to waste," Brooks said. "It was touching to see grandmas in wheelchairs at 2 a.m. being vaccinated."
This sudden announcement of extra vaccines left some Seattle citizens wondering when it could be their turn to receive their vaccine, but Brooks is confident that their clinics will help once they have enough doses.
"I'm reflecting on the journey we've been on from treating Covid-19 patients in our ICUs, and how now we're all inspired to be able to administer vaccine now," Brooks said. "Ending this pandemic is within reach!"
