REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
THIS IS REALLY AN EXTRAORDINARY
STORY.
FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO
KNOW, HOW DO YOU DO IT?
I MEAN, LITERALLY, HOW DO YOU
TRANSPORT THE VACCINE AND
MAINTAIN THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE
DURING THAT THREE-HOUR DRIVE?
>> WELL, THE VACCINE IS REMOVED
FROM THE ULTRA COLD FREEZER AND
OUR PHARMACY STAFF, WHICH IS
EXCELLENT, IN PREPARATION PUTS
THE VACCINE INTO THE COOLER,
WHICH I HAVE BEHIND ME, AND THAT
COOLER IS MONITORED FOR
TEMPERATURE SO IT’S MONITORED
FROM 3 TO 6 DEGREES CENTIGRADE
ALL ALONG THE WAY, AND WE
MONITOR THAT AND MAKE SURE IT
STAYS AT THAT TEMPERATURE ALL
DURING THE TRIP UP THERE.
>> AND WHAT ABOUT THE DETAILS OF
THE REFRIGERATION.
IS IT -- IS THERE A PERIOD OF
TIME IN THE TRANSPORT WHERE THE
TEMPERATURE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE
AS ULTRA COLD AS IT MIGHT HAVE
TO BE FOR LONGER TERM STORAGE?
>> YEAH, AS SOON AS IT’S REMOVED
FROM THE FREEZER, IT USUALLY
TAKES ABOUT TWO HOURS FOR IT TO
THAW.
AND IT CAN THAW FROM THAT ULTRA
COLD STATE WHILE IT’S IN THE
CARRYING FREEZER THAT WE -- THAT
I TRANSPORT IT IN.
SO ONCE IT’S RECEIVED BY OUR
STAFF, OUR PHARMACY STAFF IN
ALPENA, THEN THEY PLACE IT IN
THE REFRIGERATOR THERE.
AND IT IS GOOD AT THAT
TEMPERATURE FOR ONLY FIVE DAYS.
>> WHY YOU, DOCTOR?
THERE MUST BE OTHER WAYS TO GET
THIS VACCINE FROM MIDLAND UP
THREE HOURS NORTH UP TO ALPENA.
WHY DID YOU TAKE ON THIS DUTY
YOURSELF?
>>
YOURSELF?
>> WELL, WE’VE HAD A VERY GOOD,
AN ACTIVE GROUP OF MY COLLEAGUES
HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE
PLANNING OF THIS DISPERSAL OF
THE VACCINE.
I LANE TO LIVE, STILL HAVE A HOME IN ALPINA.
HOME IN ALPINA.
I SPENT ALL OF MY CLINICAL
CAREER, SO I HAVE STILL
MAINTAINED CLOSE TIES TO THAT
COMMUNITY.
>> I HAVE TO BELIEVE WHEN YOU
LIVE IN A PLACE LIKE ALPINA AND
YOU HEAR THE VACCINE HAS ARRIVED
AND THERE’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT
ALPINAS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY,
REMOTE LOCATIONS, I HAVE TO
BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE JUST
THINKING, WELL, IT’S NOT GOING
TO GET HERE FOR A LONG TIME.
SO WHAT WAS THE REACTION WHEN
YOU SHOWED UP WITH THAT DELIVERY
OF VACCINE?
>> WELL, I MEAN, WE WERE TIMING
WHEN I LEFT AND WHEN THE GROUP
TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE WAS GOING
TO BE ASSEMBLED AND EVERYBODY
READY TO RECEIVE IT, SO THAT WAS
KIND OF NEAT TO BE KIND OF IN
PHONE CONTACT WHERE I WAS ALONG
THE WAY SO THEY COULD BE READY.
YOU KNOW, THE EXPERIENCE IN THE
ROOM WHEN WE WALKED IN WITH THE
VACCINE WAS -- CAN’T DESCRIBE
IT.
PEOPLE WERE -- THERE WERE TEARS.
WHEN PEOPLE WERE RECEIVING THEIR
INJECTION, PEOPLE WERE CLAPPING.
NURSES AND PHYSICIANS JUST THE
JOY WAS REALLY PALPABLE.
IT WAS SOMETHING.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE THE JOY AND
THE CLAPPING THAT ACCOMPANIES
DELIVERING BABIES AS YOU DID FOR
SO MANY YEARS.
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S THE ONLY THING
I COULD COMPARE IT TO, HONESTLY.
DELIVERING A CHILD AND HANDING
THAT BABY OFF TO PARENTS THAT
HAVE BEEN HOPING AND DREAMING
AND THINKING ABOUT THIS BABY FOR
THE LAST NINE MONTHS AND THEN TO
FINALLY SEE IT AND HOLD THAT
BABY IN THEIR ARMS, AND FOR ME
TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THAT, BE PART
OF THAT EXPERIENCE, IT WAS A
PRIVILEGE FOR THE YEARS THAT I
WAS ABLE TO DO THAT FOR THE
COMMUNITY IN ALPENA AND JUST TO
SEE THAT VERY SIMILAR THING
HAPPENING ALL OVER AGAIN BECAUSE
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PANDEMIC,
AND THE STAFF, THE CLINICIANS,