"Undermining the FDA drug approval process puts consumers at risk, especially when those drugs contain ingredients that can cause harm," an FDA lawyer said.
Steven Brandenburg, who was a pharmacist at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, Wisconsin, was arrested on December 31 after an investigation found that he removed 57 vials of the vaccine from a clinic refrigerator during two overnight shifts that month.
The Moderna vaccine must be kept refrigerated to remain effective; once removed it must be used within a few hours.
Brandenburg then returned the vials to the refrigerator so they would be used the next day. The purposeful attempt to spoil vaccine doses during a national public health emergency is a serious crime, Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department s Civil Division said. The Department of Justice will continue working with its law enforcement partners to safeguard these life-saving vaccines.