LANSING, Michigan (WXYZ) – Several shipments of the Moderna vaccine arriving in Michigan have been compromised due to a storage problem, Michigan State Police said in a release Tuesday.
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A total of 21 shipments from McKesson Corporation, a pharmaceutical distributor, were affected in transit on Sunday, January 17. The temperature of the shipments was reported to have moved out of range and became too cold. Now McKesson is investigating the cause.
This delay is already exacerbating problems with the distribution process in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
Trying to get the vaccine wasn’t easy, just trying to get a spot really comes down to the luck of the draw. People who want the vaccine are frustrating and worry when they might be able to get it.
‘I can’t even get through. I haven’t even spoken to anyone, ”said Karie Wilson, a teacher at a Merritt Academy in Macomb County.
Wilson tried to get the vaccine as soon as the state entered Phase 1B.
“I called 163 times today and didn’t even get the recording,” she said.
Wilson says it’s frustrating not being able to book a time, but it’s even more frustrating not knowing when a time will open.
“There are not enough appointments for everyone who is currently eligible for a vaccine,” said De Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Khaldun appeared on 7 UpFront on Tuesday and spoke about the impact of the Moderna shipment, which was ruined due to temperature control issues.
“So all those shipments were actually reshipped today with McKesson, and we know they’ll arrive at those 21 locations,” he said. “I’ll just say that the biggest problem we have is that there simply aren’t enough vaccines to go around.”
Karie Wilson says she understands counties aren’t getting the vaccine doses they want, but says something else needs to be done.
“We can’t even get on a waiting list or anything,” Wilson said. “So I think if there was a better system it wouldn’t be that anxious, we would feel like at least within the process, we’re in line to basically get a dose.”
Dr. Khaldun says they have been in contact with the Biden government and asked for more vaccines in Michigan. We will wait.
McKesson is now repackaging additional vaccines to ship as replacement doses. Most of the 21 compromised shipments were reshipped Monday evening, and the rest are shipped Tuesday.
The company says an additional six shipments were stopped to verify there were no problems with the vaccine. This can cause a delay in scheduled vaccinations.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has been notified.
“We are committed to accelerating vaccine delivery as we work to achieve our goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders over the age of 16 with the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun in a statement released Tuesday. . “While it is unfortunate that this vaccine cannot be used, we are pleased that the precautions taken to ensure the integrity of the vaccine have worked. This is the first report that the vaccine may have been compromised during shipping in Michigan, and we are working quickly with the distributor to have a replacement vaccine shipped. “
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