Citing 'Human Error,' Hundreds Of COVID Vaccine Doses Tossed In Wisconsin

Hundreds of doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine had to be discarded in Wisconsin.

An internal investigation at the Grafton medical center found that it happened because of “unintended human error,” according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Fifty vials, each holding 10 doses, were removed from a refrigerator at Aurora Medical Center on Christmas Day (December 25), and they were not immediately placed back inside to refrigerate overnight. A vaccine can’t be refrozen once it’s thawed, the Associated Press reported Tuesday morning (December 29).

Thousands of employees have received the vaccine in recent weeks.

As frontline workers continue to receive vaccinations, some healthcare experts in the state are urging the public to self-isolate and take other COVID-19 precautions, particularly after gathering for the holidays despite warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It's just really tricky to say a negative test result, especially in someone who doesn't have symptoms is so reassuring that you're not taking on any risk," Dr. Jeff Pothof told CBS 58, explaining that testing too soon could yield a false negative. "You maybe take on less risk than if you haven't gotten tested at all."

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported nearly 29,000 active cases as of Monday (December 28), the latest data available. More than 438,000 have recovered and more than 4,700 Wisconsinites have died of COVID-19 complications, data show.

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