A physician at the Harris County (Texas) health department has been charged with theft by a public servant, a misdemeanor, after authorities say he took a COVID-19 vial from the vaccination site where he was working, according to a Jan. 21 news release from the district attorney's office.
Hasan Gokal, MD, is accused of stealing a vial containing nine COVID-19 vaccine doses from the Lindsay Lyons Park vaccination site in Humble, Texas, Dec. 29. According to the news release, Dr. Gokal told a health department colleague about the incident a week later, who then reported him to supervisors. The department fired him. Mishandling vaccines can disqualify the county from government funding, according to the news release.
CBS News cited a probable cause complaint claiming Dr. Gokal "took the vial offsite and vaccinated his friends and family." The Moderna vial he took was punctured, according to the complaint.
"He abused his position to place his friends and family in line in front of people who had gone through the lawful process to be there," District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a press release. "What he did was illegal and he'll be held accountable under the law."
In a statement obtained by CBS, Paul Doyle, an attorney for Dr. Gokal, said he did it because the vaccine doses were expiring and didn't want them to go to waste.
"Harris County would have preferred Dr. Gokal let the vaccines go to waste and are attempting to disparage this man's reputation in the process to support this policy. We look forward to our day in court to right this wrong."
Dr. Gokal dismissed county protol which ensures vaccine doses are not wasted and administered to priority individuals on a waiting list, according to the district attorney's news release.
The misdemeanor charge is punishable by up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.