A Wisconsin clinic discarded around 50 vials of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine due to “human error,” TMJ4 reported Monday.
Officials for Advocate Aurora Health said vials were left out of refrigeration after an employee took the vials out to get to other items and did not put them back, TMJ4 reported.
“While some of the vaccine was administered to team members on Dec. 26 within the approved 12-hour post-refrigeration window, unfortunately, most of it had to be discarded due to the temperature storage requirements necessary to maintain its viability,” a spokesperson said, according to the NBC affiliate. “We are clearly disappointed and regret this happened.”
The spokesperson said 17,000 of its health system’s team members have been vaccinated, the affiliate reported.
Vials of Moderna’s vaccine can be stored between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 30 days before being discarded. A spokesperson told The Hill that Aurora Grafton’s vaccine program “continues uninterrupted” and expects more shipments. (RELATED: WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan Says It’s Unclear What The COVID-19 Vaccine Actually Does)
Wisconsin is expecting shipments of the Moderna vaccine to begin arriving at hospitals and clinics across the state this week. Folks, this is exciting news and another step forward in fighting this pandemic. https://t.co/l8WPQW7wkm
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) December 22, 2020
More than 39,000 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Wisconsin, but only 3,905 doses of Moderna, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.
There have been 508,580 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin and 5,039 deaths, accordingto the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.