Inside The COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Theory That Prompted Pharmacist To Sabotage Doses

A Wisconsin pharmacist was arrested after admitting to police that he tampered with dozens of COVID-19 doses because of the belief that the vaccine would mutate human DNA.

Conspiracy theorist Steven Brandenburg, a 46-year-old former Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist, explained that he deliberately damaged the vials that would have been administered to over 500 people.

Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol said Brandenburg shared sentiments he felt the vaccinations were "unsafe." Along with his theory of mutated DNA, he believed that the government was going to shut down and was planning “cyberattacks.” As a result, he stored food and drinks in bulk, along with firearms that he brought to work twice.

Jeff Bahr, the group’s chief medical officer, said Brandenburg decided to move the 57 vials of doses out of the needed refrigeration on Dec. 24 and then returned them to the fridge on Christmas Day. He then proceeded to leave them out once again the night of Dec. 25, according to the Associated Press.

This specific vaccine, Moderna, can only survive out of proper refrigeration for 12 hours.

Before the affected vaccines were discarded, 57 people were vaccinated with the non-refrigerated injections. The vaccine isn’t harmful to those who received it, AP reports. Gerol said he hasn’t pressed any charges yet because the contents in the suspected tampered vitals have to be tested to be sure that it's ineffective.

The discarded doses were worth upwards of $11,000. Brandenburg was released from jail on a $10,000 bond.

With the release of a COVID-19 vaccine, many conspiracy theorists have come up with their own ideas of what the government has put in the doses and how effective it really is. A few theories that have come to light, as reported by BBC, include the vaccine containing a microchip/tracking device, the entire pandemic being a hoax just for profit, and, as believed by Brandenburg, that it mutates human DNA.