Months after New Haven officials announced that over 600 residents received reduced-strength COVID-19 vaccines, the city's public health nursing director has been fired.
The firing comes as a result of a month-long investigation into the matter. The investigation report reveals that the former nursing director "failed to communicate challenges and problems with vaccine management in a timely manner to Health Department leadership."
Hundreds of people who attended a COVID-19 vaccine clinic received doses that were improperly stored and as a result, considered less effective, Mayor Justin Elicker said in February.
“We promised accountability, transparency and a full and thorough investigation into this incident, and the city’s internal investigation and New Light Investigation’s independent investigation deliver on this commitment,” Elicker said.
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About 650 people who attended the 54 Meadows St. clinic between Dec. 23 and Feb. 7 and got the Pfizer vaccine received the doses in question. Those individuals were advised to get re-vaccinated.
The report also states that the nursing director "failed to plan for the transition of responsibility for vaccine management following the resignation of the employee previously charged."
The investigation, conducted by New Light Investigations, found that the New Haven Health Department launched a corrective action plan right after the incident was discovered and they're actively monitoring clinical operations.
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“The report is a testament to the active efforts being put forth by the New Haven Health Department team. We will continue to strive towards equitable and timely access to clinical services," Health Director Maritza Bond said.
The doses administered are thought to be less effective than if they were properly stored.
“It is truly unfortunate this incident occurred, and we apologize for the inconvenience that it caused to patients. We owed it to them to get to the bottom of this issue, to identify what went wrong, and to take corrective action to help ensure it doesn’t happen again -- and, as this report outlines, that’s exactly what we’ve done," he continued.
This incident happened amid personnel changes at the Meadow Street clinic.
The third-party company that conducted an investigation into the matter had similar findings to the health department's internal review that happened in February.
To see the full 474-page report, which was delivered to the City of New Haven in June, click here.
