On Tuesday, a Wisconsin pharmacist pleaded guilty in federal court to ruining hundreds of doses of the modern coronavirus vaccine.
Steven Brandenburg, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts of “attempting to tamper with consumer products without taking into account the risk of someone else risking death or personal injury,” according to one Press release Department of Justice (DOJ).
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
“This individual used his special access to tamper with vials of the much-needed COVID-19 vaccine. The FBI takes allegations of adulteration of consumer products very seriously and will use all available resources to bring to justice those who intentionally put public health at risk, ”said FBI Milwaukee special agent Robert Hughes, according to the statement.
Staff at the Advocate Aurora Health medical center in Grafton, Wisconsin, reported last month that an employee had intentionally removed more than 50 vials of the Modern vaccine from the freezer.
The incident was originally believed to be due to “human error”, but later Brandenburg was suspected of doing so on purpose, believing the vaccine to be “unsafe”.
The Modern vaccine must still be stored in cooler temperatures to remain effective. According to the DOJ, Brandenburg removed the vaccines from the freezer for several hours on two consecutive nights. Fifty-seven people received doses of the vaccine from that batch before Brandenburg’s actions were discovered.
The DOJ says Brandenburg expressed his feelings about vaccines to his co-workers at the hospital for at least two years. It is estimated that his actions have ruined more than 500 doses of the vaccine.
Brandenburg’s license was suspended earlier this month after he was arrested by authorities on charges of reckless danger, tampering with a prescription drug and criminal property damage.