Prosecutor: Wisconsin Pharmacist Thought Vaccine Was Unsafe

PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. (AP) — A prosecutor says a Wisconsin pharmacist told police he tried to ruin hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine because he felt the shots weren’t safe.

Police in Grafton, about 20 miles north of Milwaukee, arrested Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist Steven Brandenburg last week following an investigation into the 57 spoiled vials of the Moderna vaccine.

Officials say the vials contained enough doses to inoculate more than 500 people.

Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol said during a virtual hearing Monday that Brandenburg had formed a belief that the vaccine was unsafe.

Gerol didn’t explain why the pharmacist held that belief.

Federal regulators authorized the Moderna vaccine for emergency use on Dec. 18. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the vaccine’s side effects are mostly mild, ranging from soreness at the injection site to nausea and fever.

Charges are pending and the FBI and U.S. Food and Drug Administration is also investigating.