CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 18: The COVID-19 vaccine is stored at -80 degrees Celsius in the pharmacy at Roseland Community Hospital on December 18, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson / Getty Images)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED AT 12PM PT – Friday, February 5, 2021
Florida police are looking for a man who stole a car containing 30 vials of the COVID-19 vaccine. According to officials in Plant City, a man wearing a light-colored sweatshirt stole the vehicle from the Strawberry Festival Grounds parking lot on Wednesday.
STOLEN VACCINES: Police in search of a stolen Plant City car containing vials of Covid vaccine scheduled to be administered at the Strawberry Festival Grounds. Information about the car below and person of interest: pic.twitter.com/w9eWUlWwQi
– Jennifer Titus (@ jenntitus10) February 4, 2021
Authorities said $ 10,000 in doses had been kept in the vehicle before distribution to the city’s vaccination center.
Captain Jerry Stwan of the Plant City Police Department said he believed a passing person saw a crime of opportunity and then stole the car.
“Whether it was intentional or by chance that vaccines were stolen, I am sure there will be lessons learned for better safety measures for these vaccines,” said Stwan. “They are very precious to many people in our state.”
Authorities have issued a national alert and the investigation is ongoing.