A man who deliberately tainted 500 doses of the COVID vaccine has been sentenced to three years in prison.
A former pharmacist from the United States was sentenced to three years in prison for deliberately spoiling 500 doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine at the end of last year, CNN reports.
Stephen Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton, pleaded guilty in February to two counts of attempting to falsify consumer goods with reckless disregard for the risk of putting another person in danger of death or bodily harm.
The court found that Brandenburg deliberately removed vials of the Moderna vaccine from the hospital’s refrigeration unit during two-night shifts last December. He said he was skeptical of vaccines in general, particularly Moderna, and told colleagues about his beliefs about vaccines.
The Moderna coronavirus vaccine must be stored at a certain temperature to remain effective.
“Brandenburg admitted that after leaving the vaccines for a few hours each night, he returned them to the refrigerator to be used in the hospital’s vaccine clinic the next day. Before all the consequences of Brandenburg’s actions were clarified, 57 people received doses of the vaccine from these vials, “ the report says.
The former pharmacist apologized before U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig sentenced him.
“I had no right to make that decision,” Brandenburg said, adding that he felt “terrible” and was “ desperately sorry and ashamed.”
Recall that the incident occurred in the American city of Milwaukee (Wisconsin) in December last year. Soon it became known that the pharmacist who spoiled 500 doses of COVID-vaccine was arrested.
