The Ohio Department of Health suspended vaccine provider, SpecialtyRX, after it improperly stored 890 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the Ohio Department of Health reported.
In an announcement released Wednesday, the ODH stated that SpecialtyRX was given 1,500 doses of the vaccine for eight long-term care facilities. The vaccine provider gave residents the first dose and had 890 remaining. After considering a transfer of the remaining doses to another company, SpecialtyRX realized they had neglected to monitor refrigerator and freezer temperatures where the doses were stored. (RELATED: Amazon Offers To Help Biden Administration With Vaccine Effort After Sitting On The Sidelines For A Month)
ODH instructs vaccine providers to record the temperatures of refrigerator and freezer storage for the vaccine doses daily, ODH reported.
Employee Jessica Mueller puts the Pfizer-Biontech Covid-19 corona virus vaccine into an ultra-low freezer at the vaccine warehouse where the doses will be preserved before their distribution on January 08, 2021 in Irxleben, near Magdeburg, eastern Germany. (Photo by RONNY HARTMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
ODH immunization Program investigated the situation and decided that the 890 doses were not usable. The health department immediately blocked the transfer of any more doses to SpecialtyRX, ODH reported.
The provider’s suspension is one of several recent setbacks in regard to distribution of the vaccine. This week, New York City rescheduled 23,000 vaccinations because of supply issues, The Hill reported. Earlier this month, New York City clinics threw away hundreds of doses of the vaccine due to the state’s strict rules.