WHAT'S WITH WISCONSIN
A Pharmacist Allegedly Tried To Ruin COVID-19 Vaccines Because Of False Beliefs They Were "Unsafe"
Authorities described 47-year-old Steven Brandenburg as an "admitted conspiracy theorist."
A Pharmacist Allegedly Tried To Ruin COVID-19 Vaccines Because Of False Beliefs They Were "Unsafe"
Authorities described 47-year-old Steven Brandenburg as an "admitted conspiracy theorist."
Salvador Hernandez BuzzFeed News Reporter
Posted on January 4, 2021,
Frank Hoermann / Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON/picture-alliance/dpa / AP Images
Prosecutors say a Wisconsin pharmacist tried to destroy more than 500 COVID-19 vaccine doses because of false beliefs that the vaccine is not safe.
Steven Brandenburg was arrested Thursday and fired from a suburban Milwaukee hospital after he allegedly removed 57 vials of the Moderna vaccine from a pharmacy refrigerator. The vials contained more than 500 doses of the vaccine.
On Monday, the 47-year-old pharmacist appeared in a virtual court hearing, where Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol said he had intentionally tried to destroy the vaccines.
"He'd formed this belief they were unsafe," Gerol said in court, according to the Associated Press.
According to a probable cause statement filed by the Grafton Police Department, detectives referred to Brandenburg as an "admitted conspiracy theorist" who believed the vaccine could alter people's DNA — which it cannot.
In fact, COVID-19 vaccines, including Moderna's, have been tested for safety and authorized by the Food and Drug Administration after a series of clinical trials.
The Moderna vaccine uses the genetic material mRNA, but it does not alter people's DNA. Side effects for most people are mild to moderate, including chills, fatigue, and headache.
The vaccine is also 94% effective against the virus.
Gerol in court reportedly added that the pharmacist had been upset because he was going through a divorce and had allegedly taken a gun to work on two occasions.
Grafton police said the former Advocate Aurora Health Hospital employee had admitted in a written statement to removing the vaccine from the refrigerator overnight on Dec. 24, then again overnight on Dec. 25.
The unrefrigerated vials were discovered by a pharmacy technician the following day.
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Grafton detectives said in a statement that Brandenburg knew the spoiled vials would be useless and that people who received doses would think they had been successfully vaccinated.
Vials of the Moderna vaccine are shipped refrigerated at a temperature of -4 degrees Fahrenheit and may be stored in a refrigerator for up to 30 days. They are able to remain at room temperature for about half a day.
The vaccines are estimated to have been worth between $8,000 and $10,000.
On Monday, Brandenburg was released from Ozaukee county jail after being ordered not to contact his former coworkers and surrender all his firearms.
Since his arrest, he had been held on a $10,000 bond on suspicion of criminal damage to property and recklessly endangering safety.
In court, Gerol said the tampered vials would be tested by Moderna to see if the doses were in fact ineffective now, and prosecutors would then decide whether to pursue other charges.
Salvador Hernandez is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles.
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A Hospital Employee Was Arrested For Intentionally Spoiling More Than 500 Doses Of The COVID-19 Vaccine
Police in Grafton, Wisconsin, said the now-former employee of Advocate Aurora Health Hospital is accused of tampering with and causing the destruction of 57 vials.
Police in Grafton, Wisconsin, said the now-former employee of Advocate Aurora Health Hospital is accused of tampering with and causing the destruction of 57 vials.
Krys Lee YandoliBuzzFeed News Reporter
Posted on December 31, 2020
A now-fired pharmacist of a suburban Milwaukee hospital was arrested Thursday and accused of intentionally removing 57 vials of the COVID-19 vaccine from a pharmacy refrigerator, resulting in the hospital throwing out more than 550 doses.
Police in Grafton, Wisconsin, issued a statement Thursday saying the employee of Advocate Aurora Health Hospital is accused of tampering with and causing the destruction of the vials. The individual was fired from the medical center this week.
According to police, the former pharmacist admitted in a written statement to intentionally removing the vaccine.
“Grafton detectives indicate that the individual knew the spoiled vaccinations would be useless and that people who received the vaccinations would think they had been vaccinated against the virus when in fact they were not," police said.
Authorities said they first believed that the doses were left out of the refrigerator accidentally, but after receiving more information and doing a “deeper dive into the incident,” they discovered that the vials were intentionally removed.
“The investigation revealed that a former Pharmacist — a resident of Grafton, removed the vials from the refrigerated storage knowing that they would not be usable.”
Advocate Aurora Health Care Chief Medical Group Officer Jeff Bahr said the destroyed vials were the Moderna vaccine.
The Moderna vaccine shipped at freezer temperatures of -4 degrees Fahrenheit and the vials can be stored at refrigerator temperatures for up to 30 days, and at room temperatures for half a day.
"We continue to believe that vaccination is our way out of the pandemic. We are more than disappointed," the hospital said in a statement. "This was a violation of our core values."
The value of the wasted medicine is estimated to be between $8,000 and $11,000.
The former employee, who has not been publicly identified, is currently being held in jail in Ozaukee County.
Posted on December 31, 2020
A now-fired pharmacist of a suburban Milwaukee hospital was arrested Thursday and accused of intentionally removing 57 vials of the COVID-19 vaccine from a pharmacy refrigerator, resulting in the hospital throwing out more than 550 doses.
Police in Grafton, Wisconsin, issued a statement Thursday saying the employee of Advocate Aurora Health Hospital is accused of tampering with and causing the destruction of the vials. The individual was fired from the medical center this week.
According to police, the former pharmacist admitted in a written statement to intentionally removing the vaccine.
“Grafton detectives indicate that the individual knew the spoiled vaccinations would be useless and that people who received the vaccinations would think they had been vaccinated against the virus when in fact they were not," police said.
Authorities said they first believed that the doses were left out of the refrigerator accidentally, but after receiving more information and doing a “deeper dive into the incident,” they discovered that the vials were intentionally removed.
“The investigation revealed that a former Pharmacist — a resident of Grafton, removed the vials from the refrigerated storage knowing that they would not be usable.”
Advocate Aurora Health Care Chief Medical Group Officer Jeff Bahr said the destroyed vials were the Moderna vaccine.
The Moderna vaccine shipped at freezer temperatures of -4 degrees Fahrenheit and the vials can be stored at refrigerator temperatures for up to 30 days, and at room temperatures for half a day.
"We continue to believe that vaccination is our way out of the pandemic. We are more than disappointed," the hospital said in a statement. "This was a violation of our core values."
The value of the wasted medicine is estimated to be between $8,000 and $11,000.
The former employee, who has not been publicly identified, is currently being held in jail in Ozaukee County.
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