# FORMER Wisconsin hospital employee deliberately destroys \>500 doses of COVID vaccine **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 31, 2020, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323 "2020-12-31T04:52:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/41 "2021-01-01T15:23:53Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > I’d like to know if he’s some kind of anti-vax idiot > [@asahi](#): > > Probably a conspiracy whackadoo. As long as we’re speculating about motive, might as well throw in a grudge against the hospital/employees (health care workers reportedly were due to get those vaccines) or generalized sociopathy. Maybe this will be a wakeup call for hospitals, pharmacy chains and clinics to make sure those with access to Covid-19 vaccines don’t have a history of ranting against them or their coworkers. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/42 "2021-01-01T15:29:04Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Maybe this will be a wakeup call for hospitals, pharmacy chains and clinics to make sure those with access to Covid-19 vaccines don’t have a history of ranting against them or their coworkers. From the Washington Post article linked upthread: > [@](#): > > Tara C. Smith, an epidemiologist at Kent State University and an authority on antipathy toward vaccines, said the incident will prompt medical providers to reassess who has access to the shots, even among their own employees. > > “Hopefully, this is a one-off, but I’m sure places will now have to think about whether those handling the vaccines are trusted, in addition to making sure supplies are under camera surveillance,” she said. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/43 "2021-01-01T15:44:45Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I am surprised that this, or any, hospital would NOT have had intensive security around these vaccines. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > They probably do have tight security, probably similar to what they have for the narcotics. But this guy was a pharmacist, so he had access to all of this stuff. Wouldn’t you think being in a pharmacy (which is, in and of itself, mostly a secure place\*), under the supervision of a pharmacist to be ‘intensive security’? Unless there’s an actual threat, these vials aren’t going to go from manufacture to injection with an armed guard the entire time. Besides, if a pharmacist can do something like this, so could the person providing the security. Who’s going to guard the guards? Even if these vaccines had intensive security, that security detail likely would have ended when the pharmacy took possession of them, because a pharmacist tampering with them likely wouldn’t have been a consideration. Any pharmacist that would do something like this clearly shouldn’t be a pharmacist because the pharmacist is someone, almost by definition, you can trust in a room full of medicine. This would be like finding out a teller at the local bank thinks money is the root of all evil and has been shredding currency in the back room. Sure, the bank has guards, but the guards work on the assumption that they don’t need to protect the money from being destroyed by the tellers, that’s not even something they’re watching for. \*I’ve been in some hospital pharmacies that require being buzzed in after a camera checks out who’s at the door) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/44 "2021-01-01T15:54:06Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Tara C. Smith, an epidemiologist at Kent State University and an authority on antipathy toward vaccines, said the incident will prompt medical providers to reassess who has access to the shots, even among their own employees. > > “Hopefully, this is a one-off, but I’m sure places will now have to think about whether those handling the vaccines are trusted, in addition to making sure supplies are under camera surveillance,” she said. Yeah, a lot of places are about to incur a lot of expenses, but until we have enough vaccines that losing 57 vials isn’t worldwide news, that’s probably going to happen. Cameras on all storage locations and any time they’re moved, two signatures documenting when they’re removed and where they’re going. Both people taking them to the new location and two people signing that they received them…or something like that. Essentially, unless they’re sitting in front of a camera, two people will be traveling with them. Some exceptions apply. ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/45 "2021-01-01T15:55:48Z")
(paraphrasing) “When a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals. He has the knowledge, he has the nerve.” Arthur Conan Doyle ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/46 "2021-01-01T15:56:59Z")
If the medical industry was required to immediately fire everyone who holds anti-mask, anti-vax, or similar freedumb views probably 1/4th of the headcount nationally, and 2/3rds of the headcount in some areas would be out of a job. With as many wackadoodles as this country has produced in the last decade this process is not going to be pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/47 "2021-01-01T15:58:39Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > If the medical industry was required to immediately fire everyone who holds anti-mask, anti-vax, or similar freedumb views probably 1/4th of the headcount nationally, and 2/3rds of the headcount in some areas would be out of a job. > **[Many front-line workers refuse Covid vaccines as distribution rollout struggles](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/many-frontline-workers-refuse-covid-19-vaccines-distribution-rollout-struggles-n1252617?cid=sm_npd_ms_fb_ma&fbclid=IwAR2DJSh1nvqgvsmVjk1ig8yAfUnr4-oa7J54b_394QzlV4EOoIDts-hpAzY)** > > About 50 percent of workers in California’s Riverside County have refused to take the vaccine, along with 60 percent of nursing home staff in Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/48 "2021-01-01T20:40:03Z")
How it started (in his mind): [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sfghPczTh-2W5YwCmNjDLGDNXhpn7pv9j6yQseaEl4myxoFD_pDn9SfMCfadcpUWEpfdypALGqAgKCPg7teQeo2-LezHLB7A_Jq6dnE85mUVDt0RprJtioF9B4MpiuRetu9sF2HiYQ=w600-h315-p-k "New item by John Thornton") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/2tK7b7SKuAj4ggtL9) How it ended (in reality): [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OIg7fYqrrLqhsj49gygdFRwn5clXVZ6sXtc0IUYVNoj53stLIVYxXyWpqxw5O7fGSLT5G8zMOe1skHmsCHSTYm01NyJjiO232o-DSVOy5qPpoJM0z8Ax4EqhxNgG1HzdllCy7Qd9Eg=w306-h315-p-k "New item by John Thornton") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/ppWkpfjSPKBK1AdN9) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/49 "2021-01-02T01:43:53Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > If he’s deemed at particularly high risk of harm from other inmates, he’ll end up in a special management unit for a while. At Alcatraz, they called that “the hole”. Good place for him. Too bad it’s not quite the same any more. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/50 "2021-01-02T02:01:44Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > At Alcatraz, they called that “the hole”. Good place for him. Too bad it’s not quite the same any more. I disagree. People go to prison as punishment, NOT to be punished. The job of caring for and managing inmates is hard enough. We do NOT want to inflict harm on others. Not if we’re decent people, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/51 "2021-01-02T02:14:31Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > At Alcatraz, they called that “the hole”. Good place for him. Too bad it’s not quite the same any more. > > I disagree. People go to prison as punishment, NOT to be punished. The job of caring for and managing inmates is hard enough. We do NOT want to inflict harm on others. Not if we’re decent people, anyway.   Hey, I must hasten to add that that was said in jest, perhaps not in the best of taste. You are absolutely correct. It was just a rather silly way of saying that the guy does deserve punishment, and I’m glad he’s been arrested and will face consequences. It’s unfortunate that there are many people who literally believe what I said in jest. I’m definitely not one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/52 "2021-01-02T05:41:25Z")
A lengthy prison term, if convicted, seems appropriate. The irony is that he might then _have_ to get vaccinated. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/53 "2021-01-02T08:39:45Z")
My view is that if you are unable/unwilling to accept the vaccine you can no longer be employed in a field where you may spread infectious agents to vulnerable patients ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/54 "2021-01-02T09:41:08Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > He looked familiar to me. I just now realized that he looks like the BTK guy. Always seemed quiet. He kept his lawn mowed. He would wave at me in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/55 "2021-01-02T12:28:08Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > My view is that if you are unable/unwilling to accept the vaccine you can no longer be employed in a field where you may spread infectious agents to vulnerable patients Arguably we should change “patients” to “customers” and have the same standard also applied to all jobs that involve personal interaction with customers. Arguably we should then change "customers " to “people” and have the same standard also applied to all jobs that involve personal interaction with co-workers or workers of other companies such as vendors and suppliers. The USA will still be hip deep in COVID at the end of 202 **2** if half our populace refuses to participate in being part of a society. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/56 "2021-01-02T15:39:00Z")
From the linked story: “About 2 in 10 Americans are certain they will not change their mind about refusing the vaccine, [according to data from the Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2020/12/03/intent-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccine-rises-to-60-as-confidence-in-research-and-development-process-increases/). And 62 percent said they would be uncomfortable being among the first to receive the vaccine.” The latter part is the problem in some health care workers’ view, not being antivax in general (there _is_ a small but loud minority who fit that description). There are many medical facilities that have mandated flu shots for physicians and other staff. Expect that to increasingly apply to Covid-19 vaccines as we get more experience with them. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/57 "2021-01-02T16:11:37Z")
We may be living in a world where Jenny McCarthy is the greatest mass murderer of the 21st century. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/58 "2021-01-02T16:18:07Z")
As the prophecy foretold. . . ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/59 "2021-01-02T16:19:18Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > A lengthy prison term, if convicted, seems appropriate. The irony is that he might then _have_ to get vaccinated. Inmates have the right to refuse recommended medical care, including vaccines. They do so quite often. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323/60 "2021-01-02T18:05:05Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > 62 percent said they would be uncomfortable being among the first to receive the vaccine Looks like rather more than 62 percent are going to find it impossible to be among the first receiving the vaccine; because it’s going to be quite a while before there’s enough to cover even those who are both willing and in the first groups up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-wisconsin-hospital-employee-deliberately-destroys-500-doses-of-covid-vaccine/929323.md?page=4)