COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) – Thousands of Colorado residents have waited a week with countless questions and very few answers after the state told them their first dose of vaccine was useless because of the way they handled themselves at the clinic they visited in Colorado. Springs. The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment suspended the vaccine operation at Dr. Colorado’s health and wellness clinic. Moma because they could not properly document the temperature at which the vaccine was stored.
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“I also had a funny feeling, but I decided to go ahead just because there were a lot of people waiting for their vaccines. They were super nice. The staff was friendly. It just didn’t seem like a medical situation to me, ”said Darcy Stricker, who drove from the Denver area to finally get his first dose on April 6th.
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A few days later, Stricker and many more people received an email from the state stating that the storage was inadequate and that their vaccine dose would probably be ineffective.
“They said it affected nearly 4,000 people and canceled more than 7,000 appointments,” Stricker said. “I am nervous and angry, to be honest. I’m angry that they don’t better analyze the medical clinic. I don’t even know if they visited him, I don’t know what the application process is for them. “
Becca Tarnowski got her dose on April 7th and has been filled with questions over the past week.
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“Dr. Moma says nothing. The Colorado Department of Health is not answering our questions. We just want to know what was really found. Were the needles clean? We wonder and it is causing an excessive amount of anxiety and uncertainty. And if they only share with us what they know, I would appreciate it. I think we owe it to ourselves, “said Tarnowski.
During a virtual event on Thursday, CDPHE officials said the investigation was still active and could not answer many details, but reiterated that much of the state’s vaccination effort has been safe. Millions of doses have been administered and this is the first such number to emerge. CDPHE said it would increase inspections of vaccine suppliers going forward.
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This week, a Facebook group has gained members where people share the limited information they have, ask questions, and sometimes rule out the situation.
“It’s been really helpful to talk to other people who are in the same situation and who felt like my gut said I should go, but I went anyway,” Tarnowski said.
Many people from all over Colorado went to the Colorado Springs clinic because making an appointment was difficult elsewhere. They are now asked to wait a few more weeks and get vaccinated again. Fear grows around what three doses could mean.
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“They haven’t done any three-shot testing,” Stricker said.
“I don’t feel very well being a guinea pig for such a close third dose. Also, not knowing if I have a different vaccine, the second and third dose, because I don’t trust what they said I received, ”Tarnowski said.
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