Wisconsin pharmacist arrested for spoiling 500 doses of COVID vaccine, patients injected, reports

Wisconsin police on Thursday arrested the pharmacist who intentionally spoiled more than 500 doses of the coronavirus vaccine by removing it from refrigeration.

The pharmacist is an employee of the Aurora Medical Center. The company on Saturday reported the spoiled doses but said they had been accidentally left out overnight by an employee at a facility in the city of Grafton.

However, the company said Wednesday the employee involved "acknowledged that they intentionally removed the vaccine from refrigeration,” according to the Associated Press.

The unnamed pharmacist was fired before the arrest. And no other employees were involved in the incident, the company said.

A motive has yet to be revealed. The doses were reportedly contained in 57 vials that the pharmacist removed from refrigeration and that were given to patients in shots, reportedly knowing the vaccine would be harmless but also ineffective. 

Nonprofit parent organization Aurora Health Care is headquartered in Milwaukee and operates 15 hospitals in Wisconsin.

The pharmacist has been arrested on charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, adulterating a prescription drug, and criminal damage to property, according to news reports. The FBI is also reportedly investigating the incident.