Power Outage Impacted Freezer, COVID Shots Available

Tuolumne County COVID-19 vaccine clinic

Sonora, CA – Adventist Health Sonora (AHS) has COVID shots available this afternoon after last night’s Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) power outage knocked out a freezer.

Hospital officials in a written press alert detailed, “Due to last night’s power outage, a freezer went out and Tuolumne County has 16 vials of Moderna that need to be used today before they spoil.”

The freezer that lost electricity was in a local pharmacy where its backup generator failed. The hospital has taken 130 of those doses and is offering them to anyone age 18 and older, first come, first served. Anyone needing the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is urged to take advantage of the additional shots. Also, hospital officials relay, “Second doses can be administered to people who have proof of their first shot, as long as it was Moderna given on or before March 19.”

The 16 vials equal about 350 total doses. Tuolumne County Office of Emergency Services Coordinator Dore Bietz added, “The public health team and Adventist Health have been working diligently to locate providers who can administer the vaccine today. Staff is traveling to entities throughout the county, even Yosemite, to get those vaccines out.” She noted that public health does have generators to get through PG&E outages as well as a backup plan to move vaccines to other locations with working freezers to ensure the vaccines are maintained at appropriate temperatures.

The hospital provided these details regarding today’s COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic:

• Walk-ins welcome, first come, first served.
• Open to anyone 18+, Tuolumne County residency NOT required.
• Adventist Health Sonora, 1000 Greenley Road, Sonora
• Friday, April 16
• 2 to 5 p.m.
• Enter employee entrance, at the back of the hospital, off Guzzi Lane.