Faced with a mounting count of wasted COVID-19 doses in Shelby County and a new allegation that some shots were potentially pilfered by a volunteer worker at a drive-up site, the head of the health department, Dr. Alisa Haushalter, resigned Friday.
"This is an appropriate path forward at this juncture based on what has happened and based on what Director Haushalter wants to do," County Mayor Lee Harris said after a lengthy meeting with county commissioners.
Harris re-appointed her to the position in 2018 after she served under the previous administration. She has been the health official most familiar to the public since the pandemic began.
The mayor expects to name a new interim director by the end of next week, noting that Haushalter will remain in her role for at least a two-week transition period.
"Our public health employees are burning the candle at both ends because this has been a cumulative process," he said. "I think we have an opportunity here to get someone who is poised for this moment and can re-energize what has really been a real, real tough, tough, tough process."
Earlier in the day, state health officials revealed new findings from their ongoing investigation at the local health department, including that a pair of children were apparently vaccinated earlier this month and that several doses may have been stolen weeks ago.
Tennessee’s health commissioner, Dr. Lisa Piercey, said Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris confirmed the incidents Thursday.
Information is still coming to light, but Piercey says suspicion of the theft appears to involve a volunteer helping at a vaccination site and leaving with an unknown number of syringes loaded with vaccine.
According to the Shelby County Health Department, the incident involved a “medical professional” and was reported to police, who concluded there was “insufficient information to file a report of any theft or unlawful conduct.” But the Tennessee Health Department has contacted the FBI, which is expected to launch an investigation.
Mayor Harris acknowledged he was informed of the incident shortly after it happened and that it was appropriate to report to law enforcement. He wasn't aware of any requirement to alert the state.
He added that as a leader he is accountable for some of the recent chaos surrounding the county's vaccine distribution efforts.
"I am going to have to work hard to rebuild public trust around the fair and just distribution of the vaccine and its administration," he said. "It was a gut punch to me and probably to all of you to learn of the wasted dosage."
The state’s initial inquiry into the health department documented that thousands of doses expired this month, but investigators have now found more recent instances of shots going bad. This includes a batch of 76 going to waste this week, though some of those cannot be accounted for.
Vaccinated Children
Adding to the growing docket of missteps at the health department that state officials have now made public is a report that two children of undetermined age are believed to have been "inappropriately" vaccinated. No COVID vaccine in the U.S. has been approved for those under the age of 16. Again, the violation involved a volunteer.
“The volunteer who was on site gave the vaccine because the volunteer believed that was what he or she was supposed to do if the person had an appointment,” Piercey said. It’s unclear how the children received an appointment in the first place.
A team from the state is now working with the health department to restructure their internal protocols. Another group of federal experts should arrive soon to help.
While she started the week giving the Shelby County Health Department the benefit of the doubt, Piercey has grown increasingly frustrated with transparency in the county. On Friday she called the health department a “low accountability organization.”
“There does appear to be a lack of accountability and — in some sense — leadership,” Piercey said, “which has undoubtedly, potentially harmed some folks.”
This post was updated with the announcement of Dr. Haushalter's resignation and with comments from Mayor Harris.
WPLN's Blake Farmer contributed to this report.
