Nearly 2,000 doses of Modern vaccine are damaged after a freezer disconnected for cleaning at VA facilities in Boston, as the number of drugs arriving in Massachusetts falls more than 70% this week
- Veterans Affairs Boston Pharmacy staff learned Tuesday that a freezer failed on the Jamaica Plain campus
- The failure ruined 1,900 doses of the vaccine
- A plug for the freezer was released after a contractor accidentally removed it while cleaning
- While the freezer was in a “safe” location and had an alarm system running, an investigation will examine why the control system did not work.
- Once removed from refrigeration, vaccines remain viable at room temperature for up to 12 hours
- A spokesman for the facility shared that replacement doses are under construction
About 2,000 doses of Modern vaccines have been leaked at Jamaica Plain VA Medical Center in Boston, as the number of vaccine doses arriving in Massachusetts has dropped by more than 70%.
Boston Veterans Affairs Pharmacy staff learned Tuesday that a freezer on the Jamaica Plain campus failed, a spokesman told NBC Boston. The failure ruined 1,900 doses of the vaccine.
According to the spokesman, a plug for the freezer was released after a contractor “accidentally removed it while cleaning.”
Although the freezer was in “a safe place” and had an alarm system running, an investigation will examine why the control system did not work.
Boston Veterans Affairs Pharmacy staff learned Tuesday that a freezer on the Jamaica Plain campus failed
The Modern vaccine must be shipped and stored at -4 degrees Fahrenheit for up to six months.
It can be stored at regular refrigerated temperatures (between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 days.
Once removed from refrigeration, vaccines remain viable at room temperature for up to 12 hours.
The failure ruined 1,900 doses of the vaccine
The Modern vaccine must be shipped and stored at -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celcius) for a maximum of six months. It can be stored at regular refrigerated temperatures (between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 days. Once removed from refrigeration, vaccines remain viable at room temperature for up to 12 hours.
The facility spokesman shared that replacement doses are in the works, and stated that the AV does not “anticipate the disruption of our vaccination effort.”
But this week, the number of doses delivered to Massachusetts has dropped 73 percent this week, according to the Department of Public Health. They have only received 52,225 doses of the vaccine.
The latest MA vaccine report shows that 86,230 doses have been administered this week, bringing the total doses administered in the state to 359,919.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced actions aimed at drastically expanding vaccine production and distribution, to push forward his goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in office.
The actions and orders are the beginning of an effort to renew the administration’s policy to expel the vaccine, as 400,000 Americans have succumbed to COVID-19 and new mutations are already spreading in the country.
The plan will reimburse 100 federal vaccination centers in large areas such as convention centers and stadiums and states to establish their own as well.
Some major cities are already installing the centers, including Miami, New York and Los Angeles, but 100 federal sites will spread the idea across the country.
And, according to the Defense Production Act, manufacturers will have to produce vaccine materials, from ingredients to needles, where there is a shortage, in addition to producing protective equipment such as N95 masks.
Biden also relies on Congress to provide $ 1.9 trillion for economic relief and a response to COVID-19.
There are a lot of complaints from states that they don’t get enough vaccine, even when they are asked to vaccinate a wide range of Americans.
More than 35.9 million doses have been manufactured, but nearly half (16.5 million) have been distributed, according to a CDC tracker.