Several Oregon health professionals trapped in the snow have decided to offer coronavirus vaccines to other trapped drivers so that the vaccines don’t go to waste.
The New York Times reported that Josephine County, Oregon, director of public health Michael Weber found himself trapped in a snowstorm in the middle of the highway with doses of vaccine that would expire in six hours.
Weber and other public health professionals were taking doses of the Modern vaccine to Grants Pass, which was about 30 miles from where they were.
When Weber and his team realized they could be stuck on the road for hours, they decided to offer vaccines to the drivers trapped around them.
Most drivers refused the shot due to the unusual nature of the situation. Although Weber added that there was a doctor and an ambulance on site to oversee the administration of the vaccine.
“We had an individual who was so happy that he took off his shirt and got out of the car,” said Weber.
“It was a strange conversation,” added Weber. “Imagine yourself stranded on the side of the road in a snowstorm and someone comes up and says, ‘Hey. Would you like a shot in the arm? ‘”
The team finally distributed six doses of the vaccine on the snow-covered road, according to the Times.
Weber was pleased that part of the supply did not go to waste.
“Our number one rule now is that nothing is wasted,” he said.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US administered a total of 26,193,682 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.