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Additionally, Philly Fighting COVID (PFC) unexpectedly shut down its Covid-19 testing operations to focus on administering vaccines and moved from a non-profit to a for-profit entity – a change the health department said it learned from local media.
Concerns have also been raised about changes to PFC’s privacy policy that would allow it to sell patient data collected through their online registration site, according to a local media report.
“Trust is the most important thing we have when handing out a vaccine, and we couldn’t ask Philadelphians to trust a company we no longer trusted,” James Garrow, a Philadelphia Department of Public Health spokesperson. “So we immediately ended the relationship.”
The department announced Tuesday that it “will no longer work with Philly Fighting COVID to provide tests or vaccines, with immediate effect,” following local press reports raising concerns about PFC operations.
Doroshin said he was trying to prevent wasted doses and couldn’t find anyone else who might need the vaccine more than his friends before they expire.
“The doses were about to expire,” he told NBC. “We called everyone we knew. Every person.”
CNN has reached out to Doroshin for comment but has not received a response.
Group vaccinated about 6,800 people
On Tuesday, after the city announced it would no longer provide PFC vaccines, Doroshin said in a statement he had never hidden the group’s intentions to switch to a for-profit company.
“Vaccinating large groups of people requires resources, manpower and, ultimately, financial assistance. (…) We have always intended to increase the number of clinics to possibly vaccinate more people (we have been working for months on plans to increase vaccinations and have shared them with the city) and we must money to get there, ”he said.
Doroshin said his PFC never had and “would never sell, share or disseminate the data we have collected as it would be in violation of HIPAA rules”, and that the language “problematic” in the privacy policy of the company was deleted.
He also said his business switched from testing to providing vaccines because “we didn’t have enough resources to do both and made the choice to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible because we believe that this is what will help to end this pandemic “.
About 6,800 people have received their first of two doses of the PFC vaccine, according to the company. The city’s health department said it is contacting anyone who has received these doses to schedule their second dose with another facility.
Allegations ‘are serious’, says AG
Philly Fighting COVID first received a contract from the city to provide Covid-19 testing services in August 2020, according to Garrow, the spokesperson for the city’s health department. At the time, the group presented itself as a non-profit organization.
It was in mid-January that the health department “heard rumors of canceled test events,” but contracted test providers are allowed to set their own schedules.
The health department later learned through news reports that PFC had canceled all of its tests in mid-January, despite the group being under contract to provide these services until January 31.
Garrow said Doroshin had “unexpectedly mentioned” that the group was considering moving to a for-profit entity in early January and was told that would not be a problem, as the city has vaccine suppliers who are both for-profit and non-profit. But the health department learned that the change took place in December without its knowledge after news outlets informed health officials.
The office of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner is examining the allegations against Philly Fighting COVID, according to a spokesperson for the office.
In his own statement, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said the allegations “are serious and any consumer who believes they have been misled should file a complaint with our office,” either by phone or online. .
“Taking advantage of people and their privacy under the guise of serving as a nonprofit is not only unethical – it can also be against Pennsylvania law,” Shapiro said.
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