A week later, the news is much better for Rutherford County Schools. Turns out, health officials will not have to throw away a thousand doses of COVID vaccine after a refrigeration error.
The mishap was disclosed last Friday.
The vials were returned to the Tennessee Department of Health after the freezer problems. The state kept them at the proper temperature and worked with Moderna, the manufacturer, to see if there was a way to save the doses. Moderna has advised health officials in other parts of the country when temperature concerns have arisen, rescuing 600 doses in Connecticut.
In a statement, Rutherford County Schools says Moderna determined the vaccines “were not subjected to temperatures sufficient to damage them.” It’s unclear where the doses will be used, but they are considered safe.
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