Nearly 2,000 Doses of Vaccine Spoiled At Boston VA Facility

At least 1,900 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was compromised at the Jamaica Plain VA pharmacy in Boston after a cleaner loosened the plug to a freezer. "The plug was found loose after a contractor accidentally removed it while cleaning," a VA representative said. Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines must be stored at temperatures between -5 and -13 Fahrenheit. Storage facilities are equipped with alarms should freezer temperatures get too warm or too cold, but did not sound in this instance. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident and why the monitoring and alarm systems both failed. Replenishment doses are on the way and the VA does not anticipate interruptions.