Fortunate Randos Receive Moderna Vaccine From Pharmacy Just Before Doses Expire

Two lucky grocery store shoppers were given the Moderna coronavirus vaccine by a pharmacy in Washington, D.C., a remarkable incident reportedly becoming more common as health care providers seek to avoid letting doses expire on shelves.

David MacMillan said he and a friend were each offered a dose of the vaccine by a pharmacist at Giant Food.

“She turned to us and was like, ‘Hey, I’ve got two doses of the vaccine and I’m going to have to throw them away if I don’t give them to somebody. We close in 10 minutes. Do you want the Moderna vaccine?’” MacMillan said in a video posted to TikTok.

MacMillan, a law school student, took the dose and posted his vaccination on the platform. He explained that the doses were intended for first responders who missed their appointments, and could only last several hours at room temperature.

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The U.S. vaccine rollout has been slower than hoped for, with the number of vaccinations administered trailing the quantity of doses distributed, by millions.

“There’s 35 million vaccines sitting on a shelf right now,” former FDA chief and current Pfizer board member Scott Gottlieb said on CNBC Monday. “We are way behind.”