Questions Remain Surrounding COVID Vaccines Administered At Dr. Moma Health And Wellness Clinic
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- The owner of a Colorado Springs clinic declined to answer questions Monday raised by
the county and state about concerns of possible mishandling and storage of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment stopped vaccinations at the Dr. Moma Health and Wellness Clinic after nearly 4,000 people got one or more dose of Pfizer or Moderna at the facility.
Dr. Sylvienash Moma, born in Cameroon, West Africa, is at the center of a firestorm in Colorado. On Monday, she apologized to the several thousand people who will now need to get new COVID-19 vaccinations after questions were raised about the storage and handling of the vaccines at her Colorado Springs clinic.
Inspectors from the El Paso County Health Department entered her clinic recently and found people without masks and no social distancing. They also found filled syringes and a bowl with vials in it. The inspectors from the El Pason County Health Department also said there was not a log of the storage conditions.
A news conference was scheduled for Monday where reporters were expecting Dr. Moma to address questions about the sudden halt to the vaccination clinic.
Instead, Elizabeth Higgins, who described herself as a supporter of Dr. Moma read a statement, "We would like to address the allegations by CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) about the Dr. Moma clinic. These allegations speak to the quality of care and lack of compliance with regulations."
Higgins said they could not address the specifics of the allegations due to the ongoing investigation.
Dr. Moma previously claimed in an online post that the inspectors did not ask how long the vaccines had been out of cold storage when the inspectors arrived. She also said 95% of the workers at the clinic were state-appointed. The inspectors also raised concerns about the possible lack of monitoring of patients for 15-30 minutes in a parking lot after the injections.
The clinic normally is involved with Botox, erectile dysfunction and other matters, but signed on with the state to give COVID-19 vaccinations. Those who received them are now concerned about what they received and what they now have to do to gain a large scale of immunity from the virus.
"If it wasn't for other people going into the clinic I probably wouldn't have entered," said Darcy Stricker who received a vaccination, "I know there's talk about doing a third vaccination in a year but this will be 21 days out."
Stricker said she was told she received the Pfizer vaccine.
Dr. Moma is not an MD. Her website states she has a PhD in Nursing Practices.
Standing to the side, away from the news conference, CBS4's Rick Sallinger approached her, "What do you say to the people who have to get vaccinated again?"
Dr. Moma replied that she was cooperating with the investigation and apologized to those who have been inconvenienced due to the state pausing the vaccinations at this point.
