Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Moderna Vaccine: Storage Fails In Maine; Allergic Reactions In California Under Review
NPR: 4,400 Moderna Vaccine Doses Not Kept Cold Enough May Be Unusable
Maine health officials discovered that a majority of Moderna vaccine shipments received across the state on Monday were not kept adequately cold during transport, meaning 4,400 doses may have to be thrown out. Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, made the announcement during a "sad and somber" coronavirus briefing on Tuesday and said the problem extends to other states as well. Shah said 35 of the 50 sites that received the vaccine a day earlier reported that "the thermometer on the outside of the boxes ... showed that at some point the required minimum temperature had been exceeded." (Romo, 1/19)
The Hill: Moderna Says It's Investigating Reported Allergic Reactions To COVID-19 Vaccine
Moderna said Tuesday that it is investigating reported allergic reactions from one batch of its COVID-19 vaccine after California recommended pausing vaccinations. State epidemiologist Erica Pan recommended on Sunday that health care providers pause administering doses from lot 041L20A while the state investigates a “higher-than-usual number of possible allergic reactions” that were reported with doses that were administered at a community vaccination clinic. (Williams, 1/19)
Boston Globe: After Moderna’s Medical Miracle, Some Investors Step Back
Moderna performed a miracle last year: The Cambridge biotech company, which hadn’t put a product on the market since it was founded in 2010, delivered a coronavirus vaccine in just 11 months. (Edelman, 1/19)
Also —
AP: Pharmacist Charged In Attempt To Ruin COVID-19 Vaccine
A Wisconsin pharmacist accused of trying to defrost and spoil dozens of vials of COVID-19 vaccine was charged Tuesday with attempted misdemeanor property damage, and prosecutors warned more serious charges could follow if tests show the doses were ruined. Police arrested 46-year-old Steven Brandenburg on Dec. 31 as part of an investigation into how 57 vials of the Moderna vaccine were left for hours outside a refrigerator at Advocate Aurora Health in Grafton, a Milwaukee suburb. The vials contained enough vaccine to inoculate more than 500 people. (Richmond, 1/19)
