The Wisconsin hospital employee accused of tampering by hundreds COVID-19 vaccine doses told investigators he believed the vaccine could harm people and alter their DNA, according to a likely cause statement obtained by the CBS affiliate WDJT-TV. Experts have said there is no evidence that the vaccine can change DNA.
The employee, identified in the statement as pharmacist Steven Brandenburg, is accused of deliberately removing 57 vials of the Moderna vaccine from a pharmacy refrigerator at Aurora Medical Center and leaving them outside overnight. The company said it fired the employee after admitting to deliberately disposing of the bottles. He was arrested by Grafton police last week.
The likely cause, written by a Grafton police officer, alleges that Brandenburg told investigators that he believed the vaccine was “not safe for humans and could harm them and alter their DNA.” It also claims that Brandenburg admitted the tampering was “an intentional act.”
The detective who wrote the statement also called Brandenburg an “ admitted conspiracy theorist, ” but went no further.
Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office
Aurora Medical Center originally said it was forced to throw away more than 500 doses of the vaccine because of the incident, with the cost estimated to be between $ 8,000 and $ 11,000. But Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol said at a virtual hearing on Monday that the vials had been preserved and would be tested by Moderna, according to The Associated Press. Gerol added that he intended to wait to see if the doses were actually ineffective before filing charges.
Grafton police said some people had received vaccine doses taken from the refrigerator – but the department said it did not believe any of those people were at medical risk.
A judge set Brandenburg’s guilt at $ 10,000 and ordered him not to interact with Aurora employees and to hand in his firearms to the sheriff’s office, WDJT-TV reported. His next hearing will be on January 19.