890 Moderna vaccines wasted in Ohio; ODH suspends provider

COLUMBUS — A Columbus-based COVID-19 vaccine provider has been suspended by the state after it was accused of wasting more than half the vaccines it was given to administer to eight long-term care facilities.

SpecialtyRX was given 1,500 Moderna vaccines to give to residents, however after administering the first doses the state said the company failed to store its remaining 890 doses properly.

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“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,” the Ohio Department of Health said. “ODH immunization Program launched an investigative process upon learning of the failure of temperature monitoring and determined that the 890 doses were not viable.”

The doses are not part of the federal Long-term Care Pharmacy Partnership program.

The state said it has immediately halted any future allocations to the company, and the provider has been instructed not to administer or transfer any of the affected doses, ODH said.

ODH requires providers to check and record the minimum and maximum temperatures daily for the refrigerators or freezers used to store the vaccines.

News Center 7 is working to get a response from SpecialtyRX on the incident.

Cox Media Group