LANSING, Michigan (WXYZ) – Several shipments of the Modern vaccine arriving in Michigan have been compromised due to a storage problem, Michigan State Police said in a statement on Tuesday.
RELATED: Wayne County Switching to Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine After Rescheduling Appointments
A total of 21 shipments from McKesson Corporation, a pharmaceuticals distributor, were impacted during shipping on Sunday, January 17. It was reported that the temperature of the shipments had gone out of range and had become very cold. McKesson is now investigating the cause.
This delay is compounding problems already with the distribution process in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
Trying to get the vaccine has not been easy, just trying to get a seat really depends on the luck of the draw. People who want the vaccine are frustrated and are worried about when they can get it.
“I can’t even get through. I didn’t even speak to a person, ”said Karie Wilson, a professor at Merritt Academy in Macomb County.
Wilson has been trying to get the vaccine as soon as the state entered phase 1B.
“I called 163 times today and never heard the recording,” she said.
Wilson says it is frustrating not to be able to schedule an appointment, but it is even more frustrating not to know when the schedule will open.
“There are not enough appointments for everyone eligible to receive a vaccine now,” said De Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical officer of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Khaldun appeared on Tuesday 7 UpFront talking about the impact of Moderna’s shipment, which was ruined due to temperature control problems.
“So all of those shipments were actually resent with McKesson today and we know that they are reaching these 21 locations,” he said. “I’m just going to say that the biggest problem we have is that there just aren’t enough vaccines for everyone.”
Karie Wilson says she understands that counties are not getting the doses of vaccine they want, but says something more needs to be done.
“We can’t even get on a waiting list or anything,” said Wilson. “So, I think if there was a better system in place, it wouldn’t be so loaded with anxiety, we would feel that at least we are in the process, we are in line to essentially get a dose.”
Dr. Khaldun said they had been in contact with the Biden administration and requested more vaccines in Michigan. Let’s wait and see.
McKesson is now repackaging additional vaccines to be sent as replacement doses. Most of the 21 compromised shipments were resent on Monday night, and the rest will be sent on Tuesday.
The company says that six more shipments were withheld to check that there were no problems with the vaccine. This can cause a delay in scheduled vaccinations.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has been notified.
“We are committed to accelerating the delivery of the vaccine as we work to achieve our goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders over the age of 16 as quickly as possible with the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, in a statement released Tuesday. “While it is a pity that this vaccine cannot be used, we are pleased that the safeguards put in place to ensure the integrity of the vaccine have worked. This is the first report of a potentially compromised vaccine during transportation to Michigan and we are working quickly with the distributor to get the replacement vaccine shipped. “
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
See one global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See the full coverage in our Coronavirus continuous coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we work to help people financially affected by the coronavirus. We have all the information about everything at our fingertips to help you in this crisis and how to access it.