COLUMBUS, Ohio — A COVID-19 vaccine provider wasted 890 Moderna doses resulting a state investigation and a suspension for any future vaccine allocation, officials said Wednesday.

The Ohio Department of Health said it acted immediately when it learned the provider, Specialty RX in Columbus, mishandled most of the 1,500 doses it was given. 

“After administering the first doses, SpecialtyRX had 890 doses remaining. The company was exploring a transfer of the doses to another provider when it was discovered that they had failed to appropriately monitor temperatures in their refrigerator and freezer,” an ODH statement said.

SpecialtyRX will not be receiving any future vaccine shipments. The provider was given doses to immunize residents at eight long-term care facilities in December.

Nursing home residents who were immunized by SpecialtyRX will coordinate their second doses with a new provider, the statement said. The health department will likely handle the immunizations.

SpecialtyRX has been told to keep the doses it currently has at its facilities in storage.

“The provider has been instructed to not administer or transfer any of the affected doses and to keep them quarantined in both units until next steps are given,” ODH said. 

The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy is investigating the incident. 

This is the second incident of wasted vaccines in Ohio. On New Year’s Eve, a nursing home discarded 35 doses that had expired. In that case, the nursing home requested more doses than it needed, and 160 shots were administered via emergency procedures to lower priority individuals.