New York state officials are investigating the possible mishandling of the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine by a medical provider.
ParCare Community Health Network, a group of treatment centers based in New York that offers primary care along with a variety of additional services, became the focus of a criminal investigation after reports raised questions about its procurement and administration procedures. vaccines. New York State Police are conducting the investigation, with assistance from Department of Health officials.
ParCare expressed its intentions to “actively cooperate” with the state in a message shared on Twitter Sunday morning.
“During these unprecedented times, we have endeavored to provide essential health services and administer COVID-19 vaccines to those qualified to receive them under New York State Department of Health guidelines … which includes healthcare professionals. first-rate health and first responders, “the center doctor wrote in Sunday’s tweet. “As we actively cooperate with the New York State Department of Health on this issue, we will continue to provide high quality health services to help New York get out of this pandemic.”
1/3 During these unprecedented times, we have endeavored to provide essential health services and administer COVID-19 vaccines to those qualified to receive them under New York State Department of Health guidelines >>>
– ParCare Medical Cntr (@ParCare) December 27, 2020
A spokesman for the ParCare Community Health Network declined to provide additional comments when Newsweek I got in touch later on Sunday morning. The spokesman cited ParCare’s public statement and noted that the state’s investigation is ongoing.
Dr. Howard Zucker, New York’s health commissioner, released details of the charges against ParCare on Saturday, and confirmed his department’s involvement in the investigation. In a statement shared on the official website operated by Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, Zucker said the decision to launch an investigation came after reports that ParCare clinics “may have fraudulently obtained” immunizations to protect against COVID-19 and distribute them illegally. for New York facilities.
Members of the general public would have received these vaccines, according to the health commissioner, despite New York’s distribution strategy stipulates that individuals belonging to specific high-risk groups receive the first doses.
Similar to most early vaccine distribution plans in the United States, New York has begun administering approved COVID-19 immunizations to frontline health workers, residents of long-term care facilities and employees of long-term care facilities.
“We take this very seriously and the DOH will be assisting the State Police in a criminal investigation into this matter,” Zucker said in Saturday’s statement about the charges against ParCare. “Anyone found to have consciously participated in this scheme will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
JOSEPH PREZIOSO / AFP via Getty Images
The government began distributing candidate vaccine shipments approved by Pfizer and BioNTech to the states several weeks ago, after the vaccine candidates received their emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A second candidate vaccine, developed by Moderna in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, was sent shortly thereafter, after its subsequent approval for emergency use.
Federal guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that states distribute preliminary doses of vaccines to health professionals who are at risk of exposure to COVID-19, as well as to residents of long-term care facilities.
Newsweek contacted the New York State Department of Health for additional comments, but did not receive a response in time for publication.