For a New York single mother of young children who suffers from respiratory problems, Christmas came early when she learned by word of mouth that – despite conflicting information about who was eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine – her underlying condition it meant she could actually be vaccinated at a Brooklyn-based health clinic.
“I was very relieved and grateful,” said the mother and the professional, who requested anonymity for privacy reasons. “And shocked that I already did.”
A week ago, she filled out a brief online form and was later told she had an appointment at a ParCare clinic in Brooklyn for Tuesday, the same week that Moderna was sending its long-awaited vaccines across the country.
“Everything seemed normal, nothing different from going to any other emergency room and everything was in accordance with the book,” continued the woman, who received the injection almost a week ago, explaining that the clinic made some health plans for the injection , but not hers, charging $ 150 out of pocket. “But the doctor didn’t ask me which box I checked on the form or why I qualified for the vaccine.”
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The news spread in the days leading up to Moderna’s launch that the prominent ParCare clinic was authorized to administer the injection.
“Vaccines will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis,” said the company’s announcement. “We created a special system where you can reserve your slot.”
The ad urged New Yorkers to go to parcarevaccine.com to send information or scan the barcode on their posters.
The poster said the vaccine was for “high-risk, elderly and people with underlying illnesses”, which New York State argues is not its decree at the moment.
The woman said a strange thing happened on Friday, when she received an apparently automated email – several days after the injection – thanking her for sending her online form and warning patients not to come unless they have an appointment, although your date has passed.
A day later, New York Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Howard Zucker announced that the ParCare Community Health Network – with five locations in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan – was under criminal investigation because of concerns that “it may having fraudulently obtained “the coveted COVID-19 vaccine” and “transferred it to facilities in other parts of the state in violation of state guidelines and diverted it to members of the public”, contrary to the state’s plan to administer it first to professionals frontline health workers and first responders, also as residents and employees of nursing homes.
“We take this very seriously, and DOH will be assisting the State Police in a criminal investigation into the matter,” the statement concluded. “Anyone found to have consciously participated in this scheme will be held responsible to the fullest extent of the law.”
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However, a ParCare spokesman told Fox News on Monday that the clinic received contrary information from a DOH representative on December 21, the day it received the shipment from Moderna.
“There was nothing illegal here, no transfer to the black market. The company was informed – over the phone – that it was authorized to redistribute doses to other clinics in its network,” said the representative.
A ParCare spokesman also said on Monday that he has since “proactively returned” his existing stock of vaccines to the state “pending the department’s review”, leaving those who received him perplexed whether they will reap all the benefits and receive the next. jab. As it is formulated, the Modern vaccine requires a booster injection 28 days after the first.
The spokesman also said he had provided the NYS DOH with documentation regarding the proper receipt of the vaccines and vehemently denied any wrongdoing in his attempt to obtain doses of the vaccine.
“Our track record of working side by side with the city and the state of New York is unparalleled. ParCare followed all NYS DOH procedures to obtain the Modern vaccine and was approved by the NYS DOH for distribution and by the CDC as a local network,” said the representative. “We are confident that the end result of this review will show that ParCare has always made the best efforts to meet all NYS DOH requirements and will allow us to continue to achieve our number one goal of providing these essential vaccines to New Yorkers who need them most. . “
A copy of a packaging note given to Fox News clarifies that the vaccines were sent directly to ParCare in Monroe, NY, from a McKesson pharmaceutical supply depot in Shepherdsville, Ky., According to the newspaper.
A copy of a packaging note given to Fox News clarifies that vaccines were shipped directly to ParCare in Monroe, NY, from a McKesson pharmaceutical supply depot in Shepherdsville, Ky., According to the newspaper, furthering the claim from the company that they were not obtained illegally as the state speculated. (Spokesperson for ParCare)
Shortly after the state announced the criminal investigation, ParCare issued a statement insisting that it “endeavored to provide essential health services and administer COVID-19 vaccines to those qualified to receive them under State Department of Health guidelines. of New York. ” The company also stressed that “it has a long history of partnering with New York City to provide vital health services to New Yorkers who need them most”.
However, what many experts find confusing is that, despite the mandate that frontline health care professionals and those in nursing homes and senior care centers that resisted more than half of the deaths in the state are the first to receive the vaccine, ParCare frankly announced through social media ads and a major campaign that was receiving a load of about 2,300 makes Moderna.
ParCare is said to have administered more than 850 initial injections to date. It is not yet clear how many of them were given to individuals who qualify under current state guidelines.
Although the problem is unclear, ParCare said it “will do everything in its power to ensure that the state understands that our patients are our priority and that everyone receives their second dose accordingly”.
“A person receiving the full dose of vaccination can mean at least one more avoided fatality,” noted Kagya Amoako, associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of New Haven. “Therefore, it is highly recommended that the administration of your second doses be considered. However, it may be wise for the state to conduct additional reviews of medical records to ensure that a second dose will not lead to adverse events. ”
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According to some legal experts, all of this can mean a huge misunderstanding.
“I doubt that the CEO of ParCare Medical Center would have announced it to receive the COVID vaccination if he understood it was illegal,” explained Amoako. “To claim that they administer vaccines to those qualified to receive them in accordance with the state’s DOH guideline, which includes first-rate health professionals and first responders, is not the same as claiming that the group’s recommended vaccination sequence has been followed.
“It may be necessary to add the language of vaccination guidelines to your teeth to clear up any confusion about the consequences or their failure to follow the guidelines.”
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Still others argue that the state of New York, in the midst of another increase in cases, may push the case in other directions.
“I don’t believe that providing the vaccine to people who are not in the designated category is in itself a crime, unless ParCare was being paid to allow some to ‘skip the line’ despite guidelines or lie to get the vaccine first. “added criminal defense lawyer Troy Slaten. “Potential crimes may be bidding under false pretenses, which is possibly criminal fraud. And if more than one person is part of the scheme, then there is a conspiracy to commit fraud as well.”
So, if ParCare obtained the vaccine promising to supply it only in accordance with government guidelines and then received money to provide it to others who are not yet eligible due to the current shortage of supply, that would be fraud, he said.
“Every fraudulent incident (vaccination) can be considered a separate crime,” supposed Slaten.
The New York governor’s office and the modern biotechnology firm did not respond to a request for additional comments on the matter.