A vaccine distributor in Columbus, Ohio, was suspended after officials said the company incorrectly handled 890 doses of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine.
In a press release on Wednesday, the Ohio Department of Health said the provider, SpecialtyRx, received 1,500 doses of vaccine to administer to residents of eight long-term care facilities before January 1.
After administering the initial doses, the remainder remained in the SpecialtyRx refrigerator and freezer, where temperatures were not monitored regularly, as needed to maintain vaccine viability.
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“The company was exploring a transfer of doses to another provider when it was discovered that they did not adequately monitor the temperatures in their refrigerator and freezer,” said the health department in the statement.
The state agency investigated and determined that the 890 doses were not viable. The authorities also “immediately discontinued any future allocation to Specialty Rx, and the provider was instructed not to administer or transfer any of the affected doses and to quarantine them in both units until the next steps are taken,” said the department. Cheers.
Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines require super-cold temperatures for long-term storage and can only spend short periods of time in normal freezers.
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“ODH requires all suppliers of the COVID-19 vaccine to check and record the minimum and maximum temperatures of refrigerated refrigerators and / or freezers for each working day,” officials said.
“The first doses of the Moderna vaccine that were administered to residents and employees of long-term care institutions were feasible,” said the health department. “For the second dose, the long-term care facility will have to coordinate with another provider, which is likely to be the local health department.”
According to a count by NBC News, Ohio has recorded 842,433 cases of coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. Less than 1 percent of the state’s population has been vaccinated.
NBC News contacted SpecialtyRx, but did not receive an immediate response.
