Exactly what went wrong with Shelby County's COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
Timeline of events provides more details
The Tennessee Department of Health released detailed findings Friday of an ongoing state investigation into the COVID-19 vaccination rollout at the Shelby County Health Department.
Among accusations of mismanagement and low accountability among higher-ups at the county health department, Lisa Piercey, the head of the state health department, also disclosed two incidents that could bring significant consequences — two children were inappropriately vaccinated, and the FBI will be conducting an investigation into possible theft of vaccine doses by a volunteer at the Pipkin building administration site.
No COVID-19 vaccine in the market has been approved for use in children under 18 by the Food and Drug Administration.
During a press conference, Piercey repeatedly said the Shelby County Health Department lacked accountability and was not forthcoming in conversations with state officials.
The timeline of events disclosed by the state also refutes what Shelby County officials have been saying about doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that expired under their watch — that the vaccines expired because of weather-related delays and impassable roads.
Timeline of when Shelby County COVID-19 vaccine doses were wasted, misused or potentially stolen
Feb. 3: Expiration of 1,056 doses. Feb. 3: Two children inappropriately vaccinated at the Appling site; no report was made to state or federal partners.
Feb. 3: Volunteer suspected of stealing multiple doses at Pipkin site; no report made to state or federal partners, or law enforcement.
Feb. 9: Expiration of 198 doses.
Feb. 10: Expiration of 72 doses.
Feb. 11: First day of extremely cold temperatures in the region.
Feb. 12: Expiration of 84 doses.
Feb. 14: Expiration of 90 doses. Unknown date: Expiration of 78 doses.
Feb. 15: Expiration of 840 doses. Unknown date: Wastage of 18 unused doses.
Feb. 19, 10 a.m.: – Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter notified the state health department Chief Medical Officer Tim Jones of 1,315 expired doses of vaccine.
Feb. 19, 9 p.m.: State health department confirms 1,578 expired vaccine doses and counts 51,480 doses in inventory. During remarks to the press earlier that day, it was disclosed that 1,315 doses were expired.
Feb. 21: Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey requests onsite assistance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine team.
Feb. 22: Embedded teams of state health department investigators arrive onsite. This team remains at SCHD. Later this day, after a review of inventory, state investigators learn of an additional 840 wasted doses not previously disclosed by the health department.
Feb. 23: Inventory counted by state health investigators who find 64 wasted doses and 12 unused doses after a vaccination event.
Feb. 25: State health department team finds 18 unused doses wasted after vaccination event of an unverified date, possible Feb. 22.
Feb 25: Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris notified Piercey of the Appling site incident of children being vaccinated on Feb. 3. Haushalter also notifies Piercey of the children who were vaccinated on Feb. 3. That same day, the state health department notified the FBI of the potential vaccination theft.
Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal that has been covering the pandemic response in Shelby County. To report any unusual encounters with your vaccination experience, you can reach her at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.