Philly Fighting COVID leader admits to using leftover vaccines for friends
PHILADELPHIA - Andrei Doroshin, a 22-year-old Philadelphia grad student who spearheaded the Philly Fighting COVID mass vaccination clinic, confessed to administering leftover doses to his friends during an interview with TODAY.
The organization received doses from the city and inoculated thousands of unaffiliated home healthcare workers at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Philadelphia recently severed its tie with the group after they quietly changed from a non-profit to a for-profit organization, according to the city.
In a lengthy statement posted on their website, Doroshin said in part, "There was language in our privacy policy that was problematic and as soon as we became aware of it, we removed it."
He went on to say they never have and never would share, or disseminate any data they collected.
Further investigation into Philly Fighting COVID alleged that Doroshin, who is not a nurse or doctor, used leftover doses from the clinic to vaccinate his friends. In an interview with TODAY, Doroshin called his decision a "mistake," but said he didn't want the vaccine to go to waste.
"I standby that decision, I understand I made that mistake," he told NBC's Stephanie Gosk. "That is my mistake to carry for the rest of my life, but it is not the mistake of the organization."
Meanwhile, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley told Gosk he regrets working with Philly Fighting COVID. The city will handle administering the crucial second dose for the patients who were vaccinated at the defunct site.
While no indication of a criminal investigation, District Attorney Larry Krasner called the allegations concerning and wants anyone with information to come forward.
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