- Some non-clinical Stanford Medicine faculties and researchers incorrectly prescribed the COVID-19 vaccine before the weekend.
- Stanford Hospital offered vaccine appointments over the weekend and some affiliates thought they might be eligible to receive excess doses.
- There were actually not an excessive amount of vaccines, but an unconfirmed number of non-clinical staff got their shots anyway.
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Some Stanford Medicine subsidiary companies that do not work in patient-centered roles were able to get a first recording of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine this weekend due to incorrect communication about boarding appointments, the Stanford Daily reported Tuesday.
The vaccine was supposed to be reserved for healthcare workers in the first place until next week, with non-clinical subsidiary companies receiving the vaccine after January 8.
But when Stanford Hospital offered boarding vaccinations on Saturday and Sunday – apparently because not many vaccinations were scheduled for the weekend, an unconfirmed number of non-clinical staff received the vaccine.
Stanford Health Care did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment, but Julie Greicius, a representative, wrote in a statement to the Stanford Daily that Stanford Medicine “by invitation” will in future only administer vaccines to healthcare professionals on patients.
This is not the first mistake in Stanford’s vaccination. Stanford Medicine also came under fire a week earlier for prioritizing older, non-frontline workers over residents and fellow citizens in the first round of shots. Leadership apologized for the mistake, saying they would move to prioritize frontline workers, but now the hospital is dealing with another wave of vaccine controversy.
According to these researchers and faculties, the issue apparently has a combination of incorrect communication about the provision of vaccines and a lack of verification during the boarding appointments, according to four researchers and faculties who told Daily that they know someone who received the vaccine early , situation first hand.
Incorrect information about an apparent excess of vaccines contributed to the confusion
False claims that Stanford Medicine had an excess supply of vaccines and that non-clinical subsidiary companies distributed the extra doses on email lists and social media this past weekend, which would explain why some subsidiaries thought they could walk to the hospital and the shot. In fact, there was no excess supply.
One associate professor, a non-clinical genetics researcher, told the Daily that he received the vaccine this weekend after hearing about suspected doses of vaccination through the mailing list of the Faculty of Developmental Biology.
“We have just been verbally informed that the Pfizer COVID19 vaccine is available to non-clinical staff, apparently they have an excess of it,” reads the email from the Department of Developmental Biology. “You must enter through the atrium of New Stanford Hospital. They are open until 11pm tonight and open at 7am tomorrow. No special authorization was required.”
The email was then sent to the genetics department and the news quickly spread on social media, reports the Daily.
Although there were not too many vaccines at Stanford over the weekend, it is true that pharmacists were able to squeeze an extra dose or two out of both the Pfizer and Moderna vials.
Also this weekend, Redlands Community Hospital in Southern California reconsidered some extra doses for non-front-end health workers – and a woman who works for Disney – after receiving the highest priority.
This is not Stanford’s first mistake
Last week, Stanford Medical was criticized for passing on frontline residents and people in the first vaccination round. The hospital used an algorithm that put older employees – including higher endowments and counting workers – first and allowed younger workers at high risk to slip through the cracks.
Doctors staged a rally in Stanford Medical Center on Dec. 18 to protest the hospital’s incorrect allocation of the vaccine. A letter to top Stanford Medicine officials, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, states that only seven residents and fellow human beings were vaccinated in the first round, while high-ranking and remote workers came before them.
Stanford Medical has issued a statement saying it is taking “full responsibility” for problems with the vaccine’s deployment.
“Our intention was to develop an ethical and equitable process for the distribution of the vaccine,” the statement said. “We apologize to our entire community, including our residents, employees and other suppliers on the front line, who performed heroically during our pandemic response. We are immediately reviewing our plan to better track the distribution of the vaccine.”