More than 3,300 People Receive COVID-19 Vaccination in Weekend Effort

From Thursday, Jan. 28 to Sunday, Jan. 31, M Health Fairview administered more than 3,300
first-dose COVID-19 vaccines to eligible community members in a push to accelerate the
distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. All individuals vaccinated were in the 1a or 1b priority
groups, as defined by the Minnesota Department of Health, which include healthcare workers
and people 75 and older, respectively.

This marks the health system’s largest single vaccination event to date. It was planned and put
together in less than a week, after M Health Fairview’s COVID vaccination team learned that
they would be receiving a larger-than-expected supply of vaccine to administer that week. The
team behind the health system’s COVID-19 vaccination effort sprang into action to coordinate
the many moving parts required to pull off a successful mass-vaccination event.

“The primary driver for this event was our commitment to distribute the vaccine as soon as we
get it,” said pharmacist and COVID-19 vaccination lead John Pastor, System Vice President,
Pharmacy and Respiratory Care.

Once the vaccine is pulled from ultra-cold storage into regular refrigeration, it must be used
within five days. Once it is prepared for injection – a process that involves diluting the vaccine –
it must be given within just six hours. “The timeline adds complexity to our efforts,” Pastor said.
“The clock is not on our side.”