The Aurora Medical Center in Grafton in Wisconsin said someone intentionally removed 500 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, WSAW reports.
What happened:
The medical center said it learned earlier this week that 57 vials of the COVID-19 vaccine were removed from a refrigerator overnight, WSAW reports.
- An internal investigation began at the medical center, which determined the removal was “inadvertent human error.”
- The individual responsible told the medical center that he or she did it intentionally.
- The incident is undergoing more investigation, WSAW reports.
- “We are more than disappointed that this individual’s actions will result in a delay of more than 500 people receiving their vaccine,” the Medical Center said in a release Wednesday. “This was a violation of our core values, and the individual is no longer employed by us.”
The bigger picture:
The vaccine can be distributed up to 12 hours post-refrigeration. However, after that, the vaccine becomes unusable, NPR reports.
- The vaccine can survive at room temperature for 12 hours. Some doses were saved.