A group of women have taken on the perilous journey of traveling to rural Alaska to vaccinate some of the countries most at-risk residents...
Some of the most remote areas of our country are finally getting access to the COVID-19 vaccine...
"Four determined women, one heroic mission... in subzero temps across hundreds of miles to multiple villages they delivered and administered 65 COVID-19 vaccinations to people living in the most remote areas of Alaska.
— ThelemaLite™ (@FernwehFreya) January 18, 2021
Due to an all-female team of health care workers. Keep scrolling to watch them in action...
The team consists of 1 pharmacist, 1 medical doctor, and 2 nurses who traveled to northern Alaska for the sole purpose of saving lives.
In subzero temperatures, the team carried the COVID-19 vaccine off an Alaskan "bush plane," and onto a sled attached to a snowmobile.
After arriving by snowmobile at their location...
A local villager pulled them the rest of the way to vaccinate those most at risk.
Twenty-five-year-old Meredith Dean talked about the journey on Good Morning America...
"It's challenging getting the vaccine up here to begin with and then getting it out to the villages brings on a whole new set of challenges and logistical issues. Time is of the utmost importance."
It was a difficult job to reach the elders who require a home visit...
Dr. Katrine Bengaard and nurse Heather Kenison traveled by snowmobile from each village until everyone was vaccinated.
Kenison even had to put the COVID-19 vaccine under her coat for the entire ride...
Due to the cold air freezing the vaccine.
"We did the best we could, we had to kind of come up with it in the moment," Bengaard said.
By the looks of it, they definitely did more than that.
Bengaard and the nurse managed to deliver and administer the vaccine successfully.
The ninety-two-year-old who they vaccinated told them stories of her parents and the 1918 Spanish flu that wiped out native Alaskans.
Bengaard went on to say...
"It was very important for her family that she be vaccinated so that she be given a better chance for this pandemic," said Bengaard. "The 1918 flu was really devastating to some of the communities up here and it was just wonderful to be able to offer that to her."
The 4 health care workers together traveled hundreds of miles delivering a total of sixty-five vaccinations...
Which is no mean feat.
Registered nurse, James Austin V said...
An Alaskan Vaccine Story Thread @annezinkmd This morning conditions on Kachemak Bay prevented planes from flying so I got the honor of bringing our hard working medical staff and the precious blue box containing the best early Christmas present I could ask for... pic.twitter.com/7w78tuVfke
— Captain of Winter Jackson (@captaincurtjack) December 17, 2020
"We got to go from car to commercial airline, got picked up in a Sno-Go with a sled behind it, then we got on charter air, then we got picked up by a four-wheeler with a little trailer behind it, more Sno-Go, more sled. It's actually more navigable out here in the winter than it is in the summer because you can travel on the tundra and all the water turns to navigable ice."
"We made it work and we had a really good time together," added Bengaard.
We laughed and joked about our Alaskan winter commutes... pic.twitter.com/nkZgHOxhPy
— Captain of Winter Jackson (@captaincurtjack) December 17, 2020
"We were all willing to crawl around trying to get into this tiny little plane. We were all willing to do what we needed to do."
The women said they will continue their efforts until everyone is safe from the virus.
But we eventually got there. The mask doesn’t show it but there’s one helluva of a huge smile on my face getting to help out just a little bit for our rock star medical people. We will get through this together everyone. It’s been a long year this little victory was great. pic.twitter.com/atSd0Dzvku
— Captain of Winter Jackson (@captaincurtjack) December 17, 2020
"it's just such an incredible opportunity to work with them," Dean said about her female colleagues.
"It was definitely an impactful and powerful moment to realize that we've all braved quite a bit to get there and provide care."
Way to be badass! Thank you for making the run and thank you to the medical staff for all their hard work, dedication, and sacrifice! Gold stars for everyone! ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
— Cynehild (@cynehild) December 17, 2020
The massive effort to get the vaccinations to those who need them is taking a huge toll on all health care workers.
Alaskan state Sen. Donny Olson was vaccinated recently...
And took to Facebook to thank health care workers for their efforts.
He wrote...
"No matter the circumstances, no matter the weather, they are going out there by snow machine, by sled, by boat, by plane, whatever it takes and for their efforts, I am so grateful!"
But they aren't the only nurses who traveled to distribute the vaccines...
Other groups of nurses have also traveled to deliver vaccines to remote areas of the country. However, the cold weather doesn't always allow for safe travel.
Capt. Curt Jackson said he did not realize he was transporting COVID-19 vaccines as he sailed his boat over rough seas, describing the journey as a "bumpy ride."
"This woman kind of clutches this blue box a little bit more," he said the moment he realized he was transporting the vaccine. "All of a sudden the boat starts to take this big 30-degree swing, I mean it's pounding through, so I tried to go as slow as possible."
Jackson described his emotions after landing in Seldovia, Alaska...
They are the healthcare workers of the final frontier, traveling to remote villages in Alaska to deliver coronavirus vaccines — by small plane, snowmobile-pulled sled and boat.
— Nancy Chen (@NancyChenNews) January 29, 2021
Our story on their tremendous efforts to save lives airs tomorrow morning on @cbsthismorning Saturday! pic.twitter.com/N5dCgw4uB5
"I was definitely emotionally choked up feeling like this was a moment where we kind of were starting to do something positive here," he said.
He added that he told the nurses who were travelling on his boat they were his "heroes." After asking to take a photo with them, the nurses replied, "You're our hero."
We totally agree. What incredible women!
Keep scrolling for more...