With a shortage of H1N1 flu vaccine all across the country thousands of doses in the Stroudsburg Area School District are being thrown out because the refrigerator storing the doses somehow ended up at the wrong temperature.
"It's an embarrassing situation for us. Nobody meant for it to happen," said Superintendent Dr. John Toleno.
Five thousand swine flu vaccinations, enough for every student in the district, were ruined because of a mechanical malfunction.
The 5,000 vaccines arrived last Friday and were being kept at the Stroudsburg Area High School nurse's office in a refrigerator. Sometime over the weekend, the superintendent said, something went terribly wrong.
"Saturday morning my director of maintenance came in to check the temperature and realized that the temperature in the refrigerator dropped to 30 degrees," Toleno said.
The vaccines became too cold.
The state health department says the safe temperature range to store the H1N1 vaccine is 35 to 46 degrees.
Because of the temperature difference, the health officials said the vaccinations had become useless.
Parents like Chris Yosh of Stroudsburg said they are disappointed the vaccines are no longer available. He was going to get his son vaccinated. "He couldn't afford this miss that much school this year so yes, he would have been vaccinated," Yosh said.
The district said it is now going to work with the state health department to get more swine vaccines in the future, though with the short supply the superintendent isn't sure when or how much.
"As soon as we know how we are going to be able to handle the situation and get more vaccines in we will send our letter home and do what we have to do with our parents," Toleno added.
Officials at the state health department said this is the first time they have heard something like this happening.
The superintendent said he plans to work closely with them to get more vaccines.
"It's an embarrassing situation for us. Nobody meant for it to happen," said Superintendent Dr. John Toleno.
Five thousand swine flu vaccinations, enough for every student in the district, were ruined because of a mechanical malfunction.
The 5,000 vaccines arrived last Friday and were being kept at the Stroudsburg Area High School nurse's office in a refrigerator. Sometime over the weekend, the superintendent said, something went terribly wrong.
"Saturday morning my director of maintenance came in to check the temperature and realized that the temperature in the refrigerator dropped to 30 degrees," Toleno said.
The vaccines became too cold.
The state health department says the safe temperature range to store the H1N1 vaccine is 35 to 46 degrees.
Because of the temperature difference, the health officials said the vaccinations had become useless.
Parents like Chris Yosh of Stroudsburg said they are disappointed the vaccines are no longer available. He was going to get his son vaccinated. "He couldn't afford this miss that much school this year so yes, he would have been vaccinated," Yosh said.
The district said it is now going to work with the state health department to get more swine vaccines in the future, though with the short supply the superintendent isn't sure when or how much.
"As soon as we know how we are going to be able to handle the situation and get more vaccines in we will send our letter home and do what we have to do with our parents," Toleno added.
Officials at the state health department said this is the first time they have heard something like this happening.
The superintendent said he plans to work closely with them to get more vaccines.
