Hank Investigates: Ineffective Vaccines

Karen Corrigan, Parent
"She had the shots for polio, for hepatitis."

But then Karen Corrigan got some shocking news: those vaccines were damaged! And more shocking: this blood test proved Kimmy was not immune to several deadly diseases - her shots had not worked!

Hank
"Is your daughter at risk right now?"

Karen Corrigan
"I think so!"

And we found kids across Massachusetts could also be at risk. Our investigation revealed mismanagement, incompetence and careless vaccine handling time after time, resulting in children given immunizations that simply may not work.

Hank
"How many children were given ineffective vaccines? Do you have any idea?"

Dr. Alfred DeMaria, MA Department of Public Health
"No I don't."

Dr. Alfred DeMaria oversees the Department of Public Health's immunization program. Doctors know if kids aren't immunized diseases that were once epidemic might return.

Dr. Johnye Ballenger, Pediatrician
"Immunizations can mean the difference between life and death."

But the vaccines are fragile! This DPH memo warns they must be kept refrigerated within an exact temperature range. If they're frozen as boxes also warn: some ingredients are destroyed and the vaccines may not work.

Dr. Johnye Ballenger
"Children who receive vaccines that have not been properly stored are at risk for developing the very diseases you are trying to protect them from."

And that is exactly what happened to Kimmy. Her vaccines had been stored in the Orleans town hall. It's the vaccine distribution center for doctors in five Cape Cod towns.

But Orleans refrigeration logs now prove - for two years - literally thousands of doses of vaccine were stored at freezing temperatures!

Augusta McKusick chairs the Orleans Board of Health.

Hank
"Why didn't someone notice that those temperatures were wrong?"

Augusta McKusick, Orleans Board of Health
"I don't know, I don't know."

But all that damaged vaccine was given to - potentially - thousands of kids!

Hank
"You really don't know how many kids in this town were properly vaccinated or not?"

Augusta McKusick
"That's correct."

Hank
"What do you think about that?"

Augusta McKusick
"I think that's disturbing."

What's more disturbing: it could have been prevented. Mass. regulations say distribution centers must be inspected every year, but we found DPH hadn't been to Orleans for at least two!

What's happened in the 147 other centers? We found state inspectors only get to 1 out of 3 a year.

Hank
"There is a regulation that says they're supposed to be inspected every year."

Dr. Alfred DeMaria
"That's correct."

Hank
"Why aren't they?"

Dr. Alfred DeMaria
"Because we don't have the staff."

And after the vaccine gets to local doctor's offices there's even less oversight. Federal guidelines require doctor's offices must get "routine" evaluations. Reports we obtained prove last year of 1761 doctor's offices, the DPH visited only 238. What's more: more than 1000 offices have never been inspected!

Hank
"So you don't really know whether doctors offices are handling vaccines properly?"

Dr. Alfred DeMaria
"At any given moment, uh no, we don't."

And when officials do inspect: look what they find! In every one of these towns, state reports show vaccines damaged by improper storage at doctor's offices. And unreliable vaccine had been administered to kids - sometimes for years!

Hank
"Do you know how many kids were revaccinated? Do you know how many kids are actually immune?"

Dr. Alfred DeMaria
"The actual numbers no."

DPH officials emphasize the questionable immunizations must not be a problem because disease rates in this state are very low.

Hank
"But if there is an outbreak then you've waited too long?"

Dr. Alfred DeMaria
"My expectation is that we wont and we haven't."

Hank
"So far?"

Dr. Alfred DeMaria
"So far."

Karen is taking no chances: Kimmy is getting revaccinated. But like other parents--she now wonders how this could have happened.

Karen Corrigan
"We did everything the way you're supposed to, and that's what makes me angry, makes me very angry."

There's a financial cost to this too: more than two hundred thousand dollars in taxpayer money was wasted because the vaccines were handled improperly. DPH says it is working on quality control programs.

Right now however, there's nothing parents can do except consult with their doctors.

One final note: every public health official we talked to emphasized the importance of making sure your kids get all their childhood vaccines. That's why Massachusetts provides them free to all children.

For more information, log on to http://www.state.ma.us/dph/cdc/epiimm2.htm.