Grafton Police arrest former Aurora pharmacist for tampering with COVID-19 vaccine

Grafton Police have arrested the former Aurora pharmacist who admitted to removing vials of the COVID-19 vaccine from their Grafton medical center.

In a press release, police say the arrest Thursday afternoon came one day after they got word from Aurora that the recently fired employee had intentionally removed 57 vials of the vaccine from refrigeration on December 26, 2020.

The pharmacist, a Grafton resident, first said their removal was due to inadvertent human error. Additional interviews during Aurora’s internal investigation led the pharmacist to admit that their actions were intentional, knowing that removing the vials from the refrigerator would make them ineffective.

Aurora says 57 people received a dose of the vaccine from those vials last Saturday, thinking they were still effective as intended.

Police estimate the cost for the vials range between $8,000 and $11,000.

The department is recommending charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, adulterating a prescription drug, and criminal damage to property. The former pharmacist is being held at the Ozaukee County Jail. Their name will not be made public until charges are officially filed.