Health confirms misuse and disposal of 200 doses of COVID-19 vaccines

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The designated Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Carlos Mellado, confirmed today that 40 vials of the COVID-19 vaccine should be discarded after improper handling.

These 40 vials are equal to 200 doses of the vaccine. The new day reported the loss of these vaccines earlier in the day.

“Whoever received the vaccine box saw that there was melted ice and what he did was put it back in the refrigerator. That when the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) was consulted, specifically in that case, the recommendation was not to use those vaccines. That’s the only incident Puerto Rico hasMellado said to press inquiries after a press conference in La Fortaleza.

He stated that the discarded vaccines were manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Moderna and that the mishandling took place last week.

“Corrective measures have been taken. The center is being worked with at the CDC and Department of Health levels. I wouldn’t say what the center is because they are doing very well and these are things that can happen and more with the treatment of a new vaccine “said the doctor.

Mellado also acknowledged that Puerto Rico is facing restrictions on the amount of COVID-19 vaccines received and vaccination demand. But he was convinced that the problem will be fixed soon.

He stressed that President-elect, Joe Biden, was sending a letter to the government announcing that he will increase the amount of available vaccines. Currently, 40,000 are received weekly for direct use at vaccination centers, Mellado said.

“The number of vaccines will increase. He (Biden) is ordering that vaccination coverage for all states, including the territories, be increased, “said Mellado, although he could not specify how many more vaccines the island will receive.

“To date, we have had 272,000 vaccines in Puerto Rico, 221,000 of which have been administered,” the official said.

The difference between the two numbers, 51,000 vaccinations, equates to the second dose that every already vaccinated person should receive, Mellado explained.

He also said that “unfortunately” there are citizens who have made multiple appointments to try to get the vaccine faster.

‘That happened. The process is not paralyzed because that phenomenon occurs. We urge the public not to, as it poses a bigger problem for us, ”said Mellado, emphasizing that no vaccine has been lost as a result of this situation.

In response to inquiries from journalists, Mellado indicated that only allergic reactions, pain in the area where it was administered and fever were observed after the vaccination. He indicated that 28 people have had allergic reactions and that only one requires hospitalization.

He indicated that therefore every vaccination center has all the necessary equipment to deal with a possible emergency.

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