BOSTON (CBS) – Nearly 2,000 doses of the Modern COVID-19 vaccine were infected at the VA Medical Center in Jamaica Plain after a freezer failed.
Earlier this week, a contractor accidentally pulled out the freezer during cleaning after a pipe burst and flooded the room where the vaccines were stored. As a result, 1,900 doses of the vaccine were affected.
‘For the Moderna vaccine, it’s 12 hours. “Once it has been longer than room temperature, you can no longer guarantee that it is effective and therefore you can not give the vaccine,” Dr. Paul Biddinger, the medical director for emergency preparedness at General Mass Brigham, told WBZ-TV said.
Rep. Stephen Lynch examines freezer at VA Medical Center in Jamaica Plain after COVID vaccines were compromised (Image Credit Office of Congressman Stephen F. Lynch)
Kyle Toto, a spokeswoman for the VA Boston Healthcare System, told WBZ the vaccines were not discarded.
Toto said the freezer was in a safe place and had installed an alarm system. An investigation is underway to determine why the monitor and alarm system did not work.
“Supplemental doses are underway and we do not anticipate the disruption of our vaccination effort,” Toto said.
Dr. Biddinger said that proper storage is crucial to maintain the integrity of the key element in the vaccine and its overall success against the virus.
Rep. Lynch and co-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 really fragile. People kind of made the analogy of an M&M melting very fast. ‘
Massachusetts, Rep. Stephen Lynch, said the doses had been moved to Brockton and West Roxbury while the clean-up was still ongoing.
“They were below the temperature at which they could be stored, and that was sadly lost,” Congressman Stephen Lynch said. He says he is confident it was accidental, but called in the inspector general to make sure.
A 6-inch cooling pipe burst, and it flooded the pharmacy area where the vaccines were kept. “During the clean-up operation, some of the contractor staff who did the reduction accidentally pulled out the freezer,” said Lynch.
“They at least had enough for me,” said veteran Bob Kenney, who was still able to get the chance on Friday. “I hope they can replace it so no one has to go without it.”
“We do not need any mistakes,” said veteran Paul Hapenny. “These are 1,900 doses that will not be in people’s arms.”
The freezers on wheels were specifically brought in to store the COVID vaccines. VA Boston, director of dr. Vincent Ng, said it was not a bracket on the plug at the time, but it is now rewired with one. He also said the alarm on the freezer should go off when the temperature dropped, but not.
“We are further investigating why it failed, but as far as we know, we have reactivated the alarm,” Ng said. “We’ve tested it a few times, and it works, so it’s fixed.”