An American pharmacist purposefully tampered with COVID vaccines by removing 57 vials from the pharmacy refrigerator of a hospital from Grafton village in Wisconsin, America. This resulted in the hospital throwing away 550 doses to waste.
The 57 vials which were removed from the refrigerator was of Moderna vaccine.
The pharmacist was arrested on Thursday and he admitted to the accusation in a written statement, reported BuzzFeed News
Moderna vaccines are shipped at -4 degrees Fahrenheit and can be stored in the refrigerator for 30 days. They can also be stored at room temperature for half a day.
“Grafton detectives indicate that the individual knew the spoiled vaccinations would be useless and that people who received the vaccinations would think they had been vaccinated against the virus when in fact they were not,” police said.
Initially, authorities thought the vaccines were left out of the fridge by mistake but on further investigation, the hospital realized that it was done on purpose.
The cost of the wasted vaccine is estimated to be 10,000 dollars (Rs 7,30,859)
“We continue to believe that vaccination is our way out of the pandemic. We are more than disappointed. This was a violation of our core values,” the hospital said in a statement.
The pharmacist was working at Advocate Aurora Health Hospital and was immediately fired when authorities found evidence against him.