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• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
May 28-June 3, 2021
Bayside vaccine hub to continue offering COVID-19
vaccines following allegations of ‘over diluting’
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A New York City-based
health company confirmed
that it will continue to administer
COVID-19 vaccines
at the Korean Community
Services (KCS) Center in
Bayside following allegations
that employees were told to
“over dilute” 16,000 doses of
the Pfizer vaccine.
In an exclusive story for
CBS, ex-Centers Urgent Care
employee Andrew Palazzo
said that the company’s CEO
Scott Orlanski gave instructions
for employees to put up
to 2.0 mL of diluent into vials
of the Pfizer vaccine in order
“to obtain at least seven
doses per vial.”
According to regulations
from the FDA, each vial of
the Pfizer vaccine contains
0.45 mL, which is about six
doses that requires thawing
and dilution prior to administration.
The guidelines go
on to say that administrators
should use no more than
1.8 mL of 0.9 percent sodium
chloride for dilution, which
is more than Orlanski allegedly
advised Palazzo to put
in.
Despite the allegations,
Centers Urgent Care, which
has a nearby location in Middle
Village, said they would
continue to supply vaccines
to the Bayside site.
“Centers Urgent Care is
A Centers Urgent Care spokesperson said the company will continue administering the COVID-19
vaccine at the Korean Community Services Center in Bayside after reports of “over-dilution”
surfaced. Photo by Dado Ruvic/REUTERS
open for business at the Korean
Community Services
site. Although we cannot
comment on the allegations
since the matter is pending
litigation, the city continues
to back Centers Urgent Care
after an on-site investigation
was conducted by the Department
of Health,” spokesperson
Jeff Jacomowitz said.
Centers Urgent Care began
administering Pfizer vaccines
at KCS, first as a popup
location in February 2020 and
then permanently beginning
in March 2020. Palazzo said
that about 16,000 doses of the
vaccines were over diluted
when he worked there from
March until he was fired in
May 2020, according to the
CBS report. The ex-employee
filed a lawsuit against his former
employer for lost wages.
Other employees anonymously
told CBS they “threatened
to quit” if they were
forced to continue over diluting
the vaccines but Dr. Josef
Schenker, medical director
and owner of Centers, said
they “never advised anybody
to over dilute anything.”
A spokesperson from the
city’s Department of Health
(DOH) confirmed that senior
staffers carried out an “unannounced
visit” to KCS following
the allegations.
“We hold all of our providers
to the highest possible
standard, and the city regularly
visits vaccine sites to
ensure that all safety and
health protocols are followed.
Any allegations that best
practices are not observed
are closely scrutinized –
which is what has happened
here,” said DOH spokesperson
Patrick Gallahue. “Senior
city staff have carried
out an unannounced site
visit, checked the vaccine, interviewed
staff and observed
processes. To date, no major
issues have been identified,
however, we’ll continue to ensure
that best practices are
followed wherever vaccine is
administered.”
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by e-mail at
jbagcal@schnepsmedia.com
or by phone at (718) 260-2583.
Vol. 87 No. 22 44 total pages
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