Friends get lucky, randomly receive COVID-19 vaccine before doses expire – NBC4 Washington

David MacMillan is not a first responder or health professional. So even he was surprised when a Giant Food pharmacist asked him and his friend if they wanted to get the Moderna vaccine.

He posted his experience on the Giant in Northeast DC on TikTok Friday.

She turned to us and said, ‘Hey, I have two doses of the vaccine and I have to throw them out if I don’t give them to someone. We close in 10 minutes, do you want the Moderna vaccine? he said in the video.

MacMillan did not hesitate.

The law student posted the video in which he was given the injection to spread facts about the vaccine, allay concerns and dispel myths and rumors.

The post received hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of comments.

“It is important that when there is so much misinformation floating around, people can see that this is a good thing, this is a positive thing. We should be excited about dealing with the pandemic, ”said MacMillan.

Giant issued a statement backing the pharmacist’s actions, explaining that the health professionals scheduled to receive the doses did not show. Giant said the DC Department of Health makes it clear that if there are any additional doses that expire, they should be given to anyone who will use them.

“The Moderna vaccine is valuable and life-saving, and we are glad we didn’t waste it and give this couple a dose each,” Giant said in a statement.

MacMillan said getting the vaccine didn’t take anyone away who needed it. The situation was: use it or lose it.

He is scheduled to return for a second dose later this month.

“The pharmacist is clearly the hero here. She had a short time and she wanted to make sure that as many people as possible were vaccinated. So absolutely supports her, ”he said.