Sadly 2,000 COVID-19 Vaccines Were Ruined After Someone Unplugged The Freezer
Nearly 2,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were ruined after someone accidentally unplugged the freezer they were stored in.
Officials at Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center in Boston say the plug was “accidentally removed” by a contractor while cleaning, and an alarm meant to go off in such a situation failed.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident and why the monitoring and alarm system didn’t work. Replenishment doses are in process, the spokesperson said, and the VA does not “foresee disruption of our vaccination effort.”(Reference here.)
Doses of Moderna vaccine must be stored at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit and can only survive at room temperature for 12 hours. This incident has occurred during a shortage of vaccines worldwide. Massachusetts has recorded a total of 462,910 coronavirus cases and 13,622 deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic last year, according to the state Department of Public Health. This is not a good start to getting the vaccine out there for all in need.
