Nearly 12,000 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine ruined en route to Michigan, state officials say

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan officials said 11,900 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the state received are ruined and unusable.

“That frustrates me when I know that we are in a race and that every vaccine matters, but I have no control over that. It’s not Michigan’s fault, ”said Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Twenty-one shipments of the Moderna vaccine were made unusable due to temperature issues with the distributor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the vaccine should be stored in a freezer between minus 13 degrees and 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The distributor, McKesson Corporation, told the state that the temperature was out of range and getting too cold, affecting nearly 12,000 doses.

READ: Wayne County is switching to Moderna COVID-19 vaccine due to lack of Pfizer supply

READ: Washtenaw County Health Department is delaying appointments due to low COVID-19 vaccine supply

In a statement, Dr. Joneigh Kaldhun, Michigan Chief Medical Executive, “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 get a replacement vaccine shipped.”

McKesson said it “identified the root cause of the problem – some of the gel packs used to maintain proper temperatures during shipment turned out to be too cold – and has taken steps to prevent it in the future.”

State officials said the majority of the 21 shipments were resent Monday night. However, six additional shipments were also held back to ensure there were no problems with the vaccine. That state warned that scheduled vaccinations could be delayed at various locations of providers.

“I’m sure people who had appointments, who were scheduled to take those specific pictures, were frustrated that they couldn’t get them,” Whitmer said.

---

READ MORE: