Swine flu vaccine stolen from Olympia hospice
OLYMPIA -- Someone stole vials of the H1N1 flu vaccine from a hospice in Olympia sometime last week from Providence Home Care and Hospice.
It may be just crooks out for some quick cash, or a sign of how desperate people are to get their hands on the flu shot.
"We had 10 vials on Wednesday and when we checked Friday afternoon, we had eight vials -- plus one had been compromised - so it had been opened," said Katherine Cozier with Providence Home Care and Hospice.
Nobody knows where the vials are or who stole them, but Thurston County investigators say the thieves didn't break into the care center to get their hands on them. They think the suspect either works at the care center or knows somebody who does.
Investigators say the thief may have used one vial to vaccinate himself, then took the other two vials home -- perhaps to vaccinate friends and family or sell.
All across Western Washington, demand for the swine flu shot is high while the amount of vaccine to go around is low.
The stolen vaccine was supposed to go to care workers who work with hospice patients.
"It was important that they're vaccinated," Cozier said, "and so this is 30 less clinicians that we're able to vaccinate."
Providence is now looking for replacement vaccine, but with such short supply, the chances of finding any could be difficult.
Sheriff's deputies say they've never seen anyone try to sell vaccine before; each vial is worth about $1,000.
It may be just crooks out for some quick cash, or a sign of how desperate people are to get their hands on the flu shot.
"We had 10 vials on Wednesday and when we checked Friday afternoon, we had eight vials -- plus one had been compromised - so it had been opened," said Katherine Cozier with Providence Home Care and Hospice.
Nobody knows where the vials are or who stole them, but Thurston County investigators say the thieves didn't break into the care center to get their hands on them. They think the suspect either works at the care center or knows somebody who does.
Investigators say the thief may have used one vial to vaccinate himself, then took the other two vials home -- perhaps to vaccinate friends and family or sell.
All across Western Washington, demand for the swine flu shot is high while the amount of vaccine to go around is low.
The stolen vaccine was supposed to go to care workers who work with hospice patients.
"It was important that they're vaccinated," Cozier said, "and so this is 30 less clinicians that we're able to vaccinate."
Providence is now looking for replacement vaccine, but with such short supply, the chances of finding any could be difficult.
Sheriff's deputies say they've never seen anyone try to sell vaccine before; each vial is worth about $1,000.