Charlotte NC January 12th, 2021
We now know that private security officers played an especially important role in the development and delivery of the COVID19 vaccine.
Security has been used through the whole process starting at the pharmaceutical companies that were awarded the contracts to develop the vaccines.
Both Pfizer and Moderna already had security staff on duty at their manufacturing facilities as well as at their offices but upon receiving the green light to develop the vaccines, additional security was brought in to ensure and enforce stricter security protocols at their labs and manufacturing plants.
Pfizer would not release the exact security protocols that were put in place but stated that besides their electronic security methods, physical security was also stepped up to prevent intrusion or any attempts of burglary of thefts.
Security officers were also used to guard the finished product and in the transportation of some of the shipments of the vaccines.
The vaccine supply chain is a complex, interconnected web of manufacturing, shipping, and precise preparation. The process begins at pharmaceutical plants around the country and ends with a needle in the arms of the patient.
In between, there are medical-grade refrigerators, ultra-cold freezers, advanced tracking software and security guards.
Security protocols are so sensitive, in fact, that no one would discuss them.
The process is a delicate and meticulous one. The Pfizer vaccine requires ultra-cold storage, while Moderna’s version can be stored at more traditional freezer temperatures. Both involve two doses — a priming shot and a booster a few weeks later, which necessitate separate visits.
Security officers are also used to protect the shipments once received at hospitals and medical facilities throughout the country as well as during the distribution of the vaccine shots.
At a Wisconsin health care center, a security officer found a pharmacy employee acting suspiciously around a supply of the vaccines and called supervisors to investigate.
They found that 57 vials of Moderna coronavirus vaccine – enough for more than 500 doses -- were ruined and had to be discarded after the hospital employee intentionally removed the vials from a refrigerator, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The FBI and FDA are investigating the incident at Aurora Hospital in Grafton, a Milwaukee suburb, the Grafton police said in a statement.
Police said that it was hospital security who had notified them Wednesday about an “employee tampering with vials of COVID-19 vaccine.”
Police said that the employee, a pharmacist, has been arrested. While not formally charged yet, he could face charges of charges of reckless endangerment, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property.
The health care company, Advocate Aurora Health, “was led to believe” the vials -- each containing 10 doses -- were removed from the refrigerator in error, but on Wednesday the employee "acknowledged that they intentionally removed the vaccine from refrigeration," the company said in a statement.
Moderna has said its vaccine can be kept at room temperature for up to 12 hours before it has to be thrown out. Hospital workers were able to use a few doses of the vaccine because the vials were found inside the 12-hour period, but most had to be discarded, Advocate Aurora Health said, according to the Journal Sentinel.
Temperature controls for the Moderna vaccine are not as challenging as for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which requires shipment and storage at "deep freeze" conditions of –70° C or –80° C.
The Moderna vaccine can be shipped and stored for up to 6 months at -20 Celsius (about -4 Fahrenheit ), a temperature equal to most home or medical freezers, according to Moderna. After thawing, the vaccine will remain stable at standard refrigerator temperatures of 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F) for up to 30 days within the 6-month shelf life, Moderna said.
Once thawed, the vaccine cannot be refrozen.
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