BOSTON (CBS) – Nearly 2,000 doses of Modern COVID-19 vaccine have been compromised at VA Medical Center in the Jamaican Plain after a freezer failed.
Earlier this week, a contractor accidentally unplugged the freezer while cleaning after a pipe burst and flooded the room where the vaccines were stored. As a result, 1,900 doses of vaccine were compromised.
“It is 12 hours for the Moderna vaccine. Once it has been at room temperature for a long time, you can no longer make sure it is effective and therefore you cannot administer the vaccine, ”Dr. Paul Biddinger, medical director for emergency training at WBZ-TV, told WBZ-TV. General Brigham.
Representative Stephen Lynch examines freezer at VA Medical Center in the Jamaican Plain after COVID vaccines were compromised (Image credit from Congressman Stephen F. Lynch’s office)
Kyle Toto, a spokesman for VA Boston Healthcare System, told WBZ that the vaccines were not discarded.
Toto said the freezer was in a safe place and had an alarm system installed. An investigation is underway to determine why the monitoring and alarm system did not work.
“Replenishment doses are in the process and we do not anticipate discontinuing our vaccination efforts,” Toto said.
Dr Biddinger said proper storage is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the key element in the vaccine and its overall success against the virus.
Rep. Lynch and Associate Chief Pharmacist Antoun Houranieh Examine Vaccine Freezers at VA Medical Center in Jamaica Plain (Office of Congressman Stephen F. Lynch)
“The problem is that messenger RNA, mRNA, is very fragile. People have made the analogy of a M&M that melts very, very fast. ”
Massachusetts spokesman Stephen Lynch said the doses had been moved to Brockton and West Roxbury while the clean-up operation was still ongoing.
“They have dropped below the temperature at which they are allowed to be stored, so unfortunately they have been lost,” said Congressman Stephen Lynch. He says he is confident it was accidental, but called the inspector general to make sure.
“A 6-inch cooling pipe broke out and flooded the area of the pharmacy where the vaccines were kept. During the cleaning operation, part of the staff of the contractor who was doing the reduction accidentally removed the freezer “, said Lynch.
“At least they had enough for me,” said veteran Bob Kenney, who was still able to shoot Friday. “I hope I can replace it so that no one disappears.”
“We don’t need mistakes,” said veteran Paul Hapenny. “That means 1,900 doses that will not be in people’s arms.”
Wheel freezers have been specially brought to store COVID vaccines. VA Boston director Dr. Vincent Ng said he did not have a plug holder at the time, but has now been rewired with one. He also said that the alarm on the freezer should have been triggered when the temperature dropped, but it did not work.
“We are looking further for what failed, but we know we have reactivated the alarm,” Ng said. “I’ve tested it several times and it works, so it’s been fixed.”