Health department: Ohio vaccine provider mishandled 890 doses of COVID-19 vaccine
COLUMBUS, Ohio —
The Ohio Department of Health has suspended a vaccine provider accused of mishandling 890 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
The state's health department is requesting the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy open an investigation.
Columbus provider SpecialtyRX was given 1,500 vaccines to vaccinate residents at eight long-term care facilities before the new year, health officials said. The long-term care facilities are located in Cuyahoga, Lucas, Portage and Sandusky counties.
SpecialtyRX was not part of the federal long-term car pharmacy partnership program.
After administering its first doses, health officials say SpecialtyRX had 890 doses remaining.
"The company was exploring a transfer of the doses to another provider when it was discovered that they had failed to appropriately monitor temperatures in their refrigerator and freezer," a news release from the health department reads. "ODH requires all COVID-19 vaccine providers to check and record the minimum and maximum temperatures of cold storage refrigerators and/or freezers each workday."
Department of Health officials said an investigation was launched, and it was determined that 890 doses were not viable.
The first doses of the Moderna vaccine that were administered to the residents and staff of the long-term care facilities were viable, health officials said. For the second dose, the long term care facilities will have to coordinate with another provider which will likely be the local health department.
The health department said it has halted any future allocations to SpecialtyRX.
The provider has been instructed to not administer or transfer any of the affected doses and to keep them quarantined in both units until next steps are given.
WLWT made several attempts to reach SpecialtyRX for comment but so far, the company has not responded.
https://www.wlwt.com/article/health...andled-890-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine/35269771
COLUMBUS, Ohio —
The Ohio Department of Health has suspended a vaccine provider accused of mishandling 890 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
The state's health department is requesting the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy open an investigation.
Columbus provider SpecialtyRX was given 1,500 vaccines to vaccinate residents at eight long-term care facilities before the new year, health officials said. The long-term care facilities are located in Cuyahoga, Lucas, Portage and Sandusky counties.
SpecialtyRX was not part of the federal long-term car pharmacy partnership program.
After administering its first doses, health officials say SpecialtyRX had 890 doses remaining.
"The company was exploring a transfer of the doses to another provider when it was discovered that they had failed to appropriately monitor temperatures in their refrigerator and freezer," a news release from the health department reads. "ODH requires all COVID-19 vaccine providers to check and record the minimum and maximum temperatures of cold storage refrigerators and/or freezers each workday."
Department of Health officials said an investigation was launched, and it was determined that 890 doses were not viable.
The first doses of the Moderna vaccine that were administered to the residents and staff of the long-term care facilities were viable, health officials said. For the second dose, the long term care facilities will have to coordinate with another provider which will likely be the local health department.
The health department said it has halted any future allocations to SpecialtyRX.
The provider has been instructed to not administer or transfer any of the affected doses and to keep them quarantined in both units until next steps are given.
WLWT made several attempts to reach SpecialtyRX for comment but so far, the company has not responded.
https://www.wlwt.com/article/health...andled-890-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine/35269771
