[ad_1]
A total of 2,500 doses were expired or wasted in Shelby County over a 20-day period from Feb.3 to Feb.23, according to a timeline of findings released by the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) as part of ‘investigation.
Additionally, two children were “inappropriately vaccinated” for Covid-19 at a Shelby County Department of Health (SCHD) vaccination site on February 3 without any report to federal or state partners, according to the timeline of TDH.
On the same day, a volunteer was suspected of having stolen multiple doses of vaccine from a different vaccination site without a report being made, according to the TDH schedule.
TDH also found that the county had 51,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in its inventory, which is an excess of about 30,000 doses, according to an agency statement.
The statement also said Shelby County did not have “standard operating procedures for vaccine storage and handling,” had insufficient record keeping, and “had no formal process for managing vaccine doses soon. expired “.
TDH spokeswoman Shelley Walker told CNN in an email on Friday that there was no additional information on the incident in which the children were vaccinated and that the department’s investigation was In progress.
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris announced Friday that Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter had resigned. At a special Shelby County commission meeting, Harris said March 15 would be Haushalter’s last day in office.
CNN has reached out to Haushalter, the health department, the mayor’s office and other county officials for their comment.
Shelby County is the most populous county in Tennessee and is home to Memphis, the second most populous city in the state.
FBI notified
According to the TDH timeline, Haushalter reported on February 19 that more than 1,000 doses of the vaccine had been thrown away due to the expiration. The state then sent health workers to review handling procedures and assess the SCHD’s vaccine inventory, the statement said.
On February 22, the state learned that an additional 840 expired doses had not been disclosed by the SCHD, according to the state health department’s schedule. On Wednesday, the state transferred the vaccine management authority for Shelby County to the city of Memphis.
The state health department’s calendar lists nine separate days on which vaccine doses have expired or were wasted.
State health workers are now integrated into the SCHB for technical assistance and to monitor the operation of its pharmacy, and the state has requested additional help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the TDH statement.
At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said SCHD’s actions were disappointing.
“My reaction is a real disappointment, mainly a disappointment to the people of Shelby County,” Lee told reporters. “How do we make sure the people who live in this county don’t miss out on an opportunity for this life-saving vaccine?”
The SCHD does not currently manage any storage or distribution of vaccines, according to Lee.
“It speaks to the great concern we have for this, that these vaccines have been transferred, moved to another location,” Lee said, adding that “the distribution is being handled through separate channels due to the great concern That we have. “
“Vaccine distribution and administration will continue as planned, and Shelby County will continue to receive the entire population-based Covid-19 vaccine distribution,” the website says.
Lee said the state has notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the matter and that the FBI “will make decisions on who will be responsible for this investigation.”
“I certainly think what happened at the Shelby County Health Department is of great concern. And there are a lot of questions to be asked. At a minimum, I can say there has been a real lack. leadership. ”Lee said.
[ad_2]
Source link