Police probe as thousands of vaccine doses potentially compromised after breakdown at NHF storage facility
/ Our Today
administrator
The Jamaica Constabulary Force has, on the request of the Board of Management of the National Health Fund (NHF), reportedly launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the breakdown in the operation of one of its cold rooms at the NHF Pharmaceutical Warehouse.
According to the board, the incident occurred on Christmas Eve (December 24) and thousands of vaccine doses were affected.
“The NHF immediately suspended the distribution of the vaccines that were stored in the affected cold room,” the board said in statement.
“However, the public is advised that there are approximately 500,000 doses of COVID vaccines available to continue Jamaica’s COVID vaccination programme. These were stored in another of the cold rooms operated at the NHF Pharmaceutical Warehouse.”
The board said the Ministry of Health and Wellness was briefed on the incident and is being provided with updated reports. ‘
SEEKING ADVICE ON EFFICACY OF VACCINES INVOLVED
Additionally, contact was made with relevant health organisations and medical experts to provide advice on the efficacy of the vaccines involved, in order to make a determination on their use.
“The Board of Management has also requested the professional services of the auditing firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct an independent investigation into whether management followed the Standard Operating Procedures for temperature monitoring of cold rooms at NHF Pharmaceutical Warehouse, upon being alerted of the temperature irregularity,” the statement read.
The board said full restoration of the cold room was completed and it is now fully operational and functioning normally. Additional measures were also instituted in order to minimise chances of recurrence and to reduce the risks associated with the warehousing of pharmaceuticals requiring cold storage.
The board promised that the public would be provided with further updates as the investigation continues.
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