Stroudsburg school district ruins swine flu vaccine

STROUDSBURG, Pa. - The Stroudsburg Area School District in the Pocono Mountains must discard 6,000 doses of swine flu vaccine because they got too cold.

The district must dispose of the doses, which are in limited supply, after discovering the refrigeration units holding the vaccine were four degrees below the permitted range.

Pennsylvania Health Department officials told the district to get rid of the vaccine on Monday. Department spokeswoman Stacy Kriedeman said the vaccine is not viable if it is not kept at the proper temperature.

Health officials say the vaccine must be stored at a temperature between 35 and 46 degrees. The nursing office refrigerators holding Stroudsburg's doses were kept at 31 degrees. Kriedeman said the Health Department would try to replace the doses as more vaccine becomes available. - AP