Getty/EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP
A hospital worker in Wisconsin in the US who is said to have intentionally destroyed hundreds of doses of the Covid-19 vaccine has been arrested.
A hospital worker in Wisconsin in the US who is said to have intentionally destroyed hundreds of doses of the Covid-19 vaccine was arrested this week.
In a statement shared on New Year’s Eve, the Grafton Police Department announced the Advocate Aurora Health Hospital employee–who had already been fired–was arrested for tampering with and causing the destruction of 57 vials.
Those vials, per police, contained approximately 570 doses.
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“Grafton Police were called to the Advocate Aurora Health Hospital in Grafton on Wednesday, December 30, 2020, on a report that a former employee of the pharmacy had intentionally removed the vaccines from the refrigerated storage and left them to sit out overnight, rendering about 570 doses of the vaccine ‘useless’ according to health professionals,” a police spokesperson said.
When the news of the destruction of doses first became public knowledge in late December, it was believed that the act was accidental.
Upon further investigation, however, it was determined that it was intentional.
Later, the former hospital worker admitted to intentionally removing the vaccine “know that if not properly stored the vaccine would be ineffective.”
Potential charges include first degree recklessly endangering safety, adulterating a prescription drug, and criminal damage to property. Their identity has not been revealed by police.
Word of the arrest of the unidentified person comes after a report from the Los Angeles Times indicating that some healthcare workers have been declining to receive the vaccine despite early access.
