Some COVID-19 vaccine doses given at 5 Northeast Ohio long-term care facilities were not stored properly
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said they were informed on Tuesday morning that the COVID-19 vaccine was erroneously administered to some residents or staff at several area long-term care facilities.
Walgreens, a pharmacy tasked with administering vaccine doses in some Northeast Ohio long-term health facilities, admitted that some immunizations were not properly stored in ultracold temperatures prior to the shot being given out.
The governor said it appeared the fault in storage occurred before Walgreens arrived to the long-term care facilities with the vaccine.
The five Northeast Ohio facilities include:
- Ashtabula County Residential Services Maples, Kingsville, Ashtabula County
- Ashtabula Towers, Ashtabula, Ashtabula County
- Heather Hill Care Communities, Chardon, Geauga County
- Six Chimneys, East Cleveland, Cuyahoga County
- Willow Park Convalescent Home, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County
Dr. Vanderhoff said any breach in the cold storage process means “the vaccine can’t be relied upon to be effective.”
The CDC and vaccine manufacturers said there is no known health threat to receiving a dose that wasn’t store properly, according to Gov. DeWine. Those individuals that received a vaccine-in-question will receive another immunization.
Over 700 providers have been authorized across the state to administer the vaccine, including the state and local health departments, as well as select practices and pharmacies.
Walgreens told 19 News in a statement Tuesday:
“After completing vaccinations on February 1 at five long-term care facilities in Ohio and following our internal controls processes, we discovered the vials containing the vaccine were subject to improper storage before being delivered to these facilities. There is no reason to believe any patients who received these doses will suffer any harm. Walgreens has been in contact with the manufacturer and while the viability and potential impact on the effectiveness of vaccines that have been improperly stored remains unknown, revaccination is recommended. We will work with the facilities to revaccinate patients who inadvertently received doses from these vaccines to ensure full protection from vaccination in accordance with CDC guidance. Walgreens is investigating and has taken additional immediate steps to review and correct our operating procedures to prevent this from occurring again.”
This is a developing story.
Copyright 2021 WOIO. All rights reserved.
