Statement from the Milwaukee Health Department

On Monday March 1, 2021, 34 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine expired before they could be used by the Milwaukee Health Department. More syringes had been prepared with vaccine than individuals presented themselves for Moderna vaccination at the Wisconsin Center. This is the first time any vaccine has expired and gone unused by the Health Department.

The situation that led to the error was complicated by the instruction to give only Pfizer vaccine to teachers vaccinated on Monday. Also, a number of teachers scheduled appointments on Monday without identifying themselves as teachers until arriving at the vaccination site.

In the hours leading up to the vaccine expiration, the Health Department team rushed to identify unscheduled, eligible vaccination candidates. That effort reduced the potential waste from 140 vaccine doses to the 34 that did expire.

A total of 1,058 doses of vaccine were administered at the Wisconsin Center Monday, and more than 25,000 doses have been administered by the Milwaukee Health Department since the COVID-19 vaccination efforts began.

This incident is the subject of ongoing review by the Milwaukee Health Department. It is clear at this stage that no intentional or malicious action was involved in the incident. Process changes have already been implemented to prevent a repetition.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.