Nearly 2,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were spoiled at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Boston after a contractor accidentally unplugged a freezer, hospital officials announced Thursday.
Staff at the Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center discovered on Tuesday that a freezer had failed, compromising 1,900 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
The plug to the freezer was found to be loose after a contractor accidentally unplugged it while cleaning, according to a statement from Kyle Toto, a spokesman for VA Boston Healthcare System. The freezer had been in a safe location and had an alarm system, he said.
The system is investigating the cause of the incident and why the monitoring alarm system did not work. More doses are on the way, Toto said, and officials do not foresee disruption of the system s vaccination effort.
1,900 COVID vaccine doses ruined at Boston VA hospital after freezer accidentally unplugged
January 22, 2021 / 1:55 PM / CBS/AP U.S. races to rollout vaccine as new strains spread
Nearly 2,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were spoiled at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Boston after a contractor accidentally unplugged a freezer, hospital officials announced Thursday. Staff at the Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center discovered on Tuesday that a freezer had failed, compromising 1,900 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
The plug to the freezer was found to be loose after a contractor accidentally unplugged it while cleaning, according to a statement from Kyle Toto, a spokesman for VA Boston Healthcare System. The freezer had been in a safe location and had an alarm system, he said.
Here s How Many COVID Vaccines Were Wasted This Week Amid Shortages A woman getting a COVID vaccine. Photo: POOL / Soeren Stache
Over 18,000 doses of the COVID vaccine went to waste this week amid a growing supply shortage that has caused a widespread number of vaccination appointments to be canceled.
The latest snafu comes as a cleaner in Boston accidentally unplugged a freezer where the Moderna COVID vaccine was being stored at the Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center, destroying at least 1,900 doses of the drug, ABC News reported.
The Moderna vaccine needs to be stored at temperatures of minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit for up to six months or in a refrigerator at 36 to 46 degrees for up to 30 days.
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