Vaccine Storage Problems Arise in Hospitals

Nearly 2,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were spoiled after a contractor accidentally unplugged a freezer


Preparing hospitals for the storage and distribution of vaccines to curtail the spread of the coronavirus is proving to be challenging for some facilities, in part because of the refrigeration requirements involved.

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, according to CBS News. Staff at the Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center discovered that a freezer had failed, compromising 1,900 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

The plug to the freezer was found loose after a contractor accidentally unplugged it while cleaning, according to 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 the reason the monitoring alarm system did not work. More doses are on the way,, and officials say they do not foresee disruption of the system's vaccination effort.

Temperature issues have caused problems for vaccine rollouts in other states. Nearly 12,000 Moderna doses that were being shipped to Michigan recently were spoiled after getting too cold. In Wisconsin, a pharmacist faces charges after authorities say he deliberately ruined hundreds of doses by removing them from refrigeration for two nights.

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January 27, 2021


Topic Area: Infection Control


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