Covid 19 coronavirus: Wisconsin pharmacist jailed for ruining 500 vaccine doses

Steven Brandenburg admitted intentionally removing the Moderna doses from a refrigerator for hours at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, located just north of Milwaukee. Photo / Eugene Hoshiko, AP

A former pharmacist in Wisconsin who purposefully ruined more than 500 doses of Covid-19 vaccine has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Steven Brandenburg, 46, of Grafton, pleaded guilty in February to two felony counts of attempting to tamper with a consumer product. He had admitted to intentionally removing the doses manufactured by Moderna from a refrigerator for hours at Aurora Medical Centre in Grafton, north of Milwaukee.

Before sentencing, Brandenburg said he felt "great shame" and accepted responsibility for his actions. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported he apologised to his co-workers, family and the community.

Aurora destroyed most of the tampered doses, but 57 people received inoculations from the supply. Those doses are believed to have still been effective, but weeks of uncertainty created a storm of anger, anxiety and anguish among the recipients, according to court documents.

Prosecutors asked for a sentence of three years and five months. Brandenburg faced a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment at $250,000 in fines for each felony count.

Brandenburg is an admitted conspiracy theorist who believes he is a prophet and vaccines are a product of the devil. He also professed a belief that the Earth is flat and the 9/11 terrorist attacks were faked.

Brandenburg also secretly substituted saline for flu vaccine that he was mandated to receive and persuaded several co-workers to secretly swap saline for their flu vaccine as well, according to court filings.

- AP