Pharmacist Who Tried Destroying Covid Vaccines Gets 3-Year Prison Sentence
Topline
A federal judge on Tuesday handed down a three-year prison sentence for Steven Brandenburg, a Wisconsin pharmacist police called an “admitted conspiracy theorist” who tried to purposely spoil Covid-19 vaccines back in December because he believed they were dangerous.
A hand with disposable gloves takes a vaccine ampoule of the company Moderna out of the packaging. … [+]
dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
Key Facts
Brandenburg, 46, pleaded guilty in February to two charges relating to his attempt to spoil hundreds of doses of Moderna vaccine.
Brandenburg admitted he took a box of vaccine vials out of refrigeration while working overnight shifts at Advocate Aurora Health Systems in Grafton, Wisconsin, on Dec. 24 and 25 in an attempt to make them ineffective.
He would return the vials to refrigeration at the end of his shifts, but the potentially compromised vaccines were given as shots to 57 people before Brandenburg’s sabotage was discovered.
Crucial Quote
“The purposeful attempt to spoil vaccine doses during a national public health emergency is a serious crime,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton.
Key Background
At the time of Brandenburg’s crimes, Covid-19 vaccines were in very short supply in the U.S., while the country was adding hundreds of thousands of new cases a day. But demand has dropped significantly throughout 2021 as eligibility gradually opened to all Americans, with 63.7% of the U.S. population now having received at least one vaccine shot. But millions remain hesitant about getting the vaccine, as numerous absurd conspiracy theories continue to spread regarding their safety. A recent Gallup poll found 78% of Americans who aren’t planning to get the vaccine are also unlikely to ever change their minds on the matter, but the U.S. is still on pace to have 70% of adults at least partially vaccinated by President Joe Biden’s July 4 goal.
Tangent
The short vaccine supply in winter months led to several cases of people accused of stealing the vaccine. In Florida, a “paramedic of the year” was arrested and charged with 12 felony counts after allegedly swiping vaccines to give to a colleague’s mother.
Further Reading
Wisconsin Vaccine Saboteur Steven Brandenburg Is a Flat-Earther, FBI Document Reveals (The Daily Beast)
‘Paramedic Of The Year’ Arrested For Stealing Covid Vaccines In Florida (Forbes)
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