Wisconsin Pharmacist Arrested After Admitting He Purposely Ruined Coronavirus Vaccines

A Grafton, Wisconsin pharmacist was arrested Thursday after allegedly purposefully destroying over 500 doses of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine. Police said the pharmacist took 57 vials with about 10 doses each out of a refrigerator and knew this would make them useless. Aurora Medical Center said 57 people were given less than effective or ineffective vaccine doses before discarding 500 doses, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Police recommended charging the suspect with recklessly endangering safety, adulterating a prescription drug, and criminal property damage. They estimated about $8,000 to $11,000 worth of the vaccine was destroyed. The motive is unknown and the case remains under investigation. The man's name was not released, but the Journal Sentinel reports Steven Brandenburg, 46, was booked on similar charges. Brandenberg is a licensed pharmacist, according to state records.

On Wednesday, Aurora officials said the vials were discarded due to "human error." However, Aurora president Jeff Bahr said the pharmacist who took out the vials was a "bad actor" on Thursday. The pharmacist was fired, but Bahr said he could not say what the motive was. A technician found the vials outside the refrigerator on the morning of Dec. 26, Bahr said. The technician put the vials in the refrigerator and reported the incident. On Wednesday, the pharmacist admitted to intentionally taking out the vials.

At first, officials believed they could still administer vaccinations on Dec. 26. They gave 57 patients vaccinations, and they have since been told their doses were less effective or ineffective. They were also told that there was "no evidence" that the vaccinations "pose any harm to them other than potentially being less effective or ineffective." Behr also told reporters there was "no evidence" the pharmacist did anything to the vials aside from taking them out of the refrigerator. Behr stood by the hospital's security, insisting the incident involved a "bad actor as opposed to a bad process." Still, he did not detail the security measures the hospital is taking to protect vaccinations.

Wisconsin saw a dip in the number of new coronavirus cases in early December, but it has begun to rise in recent days, notes The Associated Press. On Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Health reported 3,810 new cases, the third consecutive day with rising infections. The state has seen over 481,000 cases during the pandemic and 4,859 deaths due to coronavirus complications.