Doctor Found Guilty of Diversion of COVID-19 Vaccines
Doctor Found Guilty of Diversion of COVID-19 Vaccines
A Tennessee doctor has been reprimanded for removing five doses of the coronavirus vaccine without authorization and giving them to family and a friend, officials said.
In a public meeting on May 11, the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners found Medical Doctor Claude F. Varner, Jr., guilty of Diversion of COVID-19 vaccinations while volunteering to administer vaccines.
Between January 16, 2021, and February 10, 2021, Varner volunteered repeatedly to administer vaccines as part of the Shelby County Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccine administration plan at the Pipken building vaccine POD in Memphis, Tennessee. One one occasion, he unlawfully removed three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Pipken building vaccine POD, and on a separate occasion he removed two additional doses from the POD site.
He administered two of the doses to his wife, to of the doses to a friend, and one dose to his daughter-in-law. For taking a total of five dosages and giving them to friends and relatives, Claude F. Varner, Jr. was fined $500. He must also pay up to $1,000 in inquiry costs. The Board also found him guilty of unprofessional, dishonorable or unethical conduct; Dispensing, prescribing or otherwise distributing any controlled substance, controlled substance analogue or other drug to any person in violation of any law of the state or United States.
Approximate date(s) of the diversion:
01/16/2021
Where the Diversion Occurred:
Shelby County Health Department's Pipken Building
940 Early Maxwell Blvd, Memphis, TN 38104, USA
Type of Healthcare Facility:
Hospital
Person Diverting:
Claude F. Varner, Jr., MD
Profession of the person diverting:
Physician or Medical Doctor (MD)
Has the incident been reported?
e.g. to local law enforcement, county board of health, state licensure board, and/or federal DEA or FDA authorities?
Yes
To whom has the incident been reported?
The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners, FBI
Publicly available news reports about the incident: