COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — On the first floor of a 50-year-old Colorado Springs hotel sits a health and wellness clinic. As of last week it was also a place in El Paso County offering the COVID-19 vaccine.
"It throws a lot of things in question for me, like how they got certified and who certified them," said one Denver woman, who received the shot at the clinic. She asked for her identity to remain anonymous.
She was one of the nearly 4,000 people who got their shot at the spa called Dr. Moma Health and Wellness Clinic.
"Once we got in there, it was total chaos. No social distancing, no one giving us instructions," she said.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) shut down Dr. Moma's ability to give vaccines late last week.
After an investigation involving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the state identified problems with vaccine storage and handling, preparation, and poor record-keeping practices.
"It’s just the uncertainty to me. Was what I got injected into me safe?" the Denver woman.
Denver7 talked with man at the clinic who said he was the owner of Dr. Moma. He declined an interview until he spoke directly to the state, but did say he is complying with the state by not giving the shot.
Joe Smith received his first Pfizer shot from the Dr. Moma clinic. He spoke highly of his experience.
"They are very professional and explained everything in detail of how the process was going to be. They didn’t just give you a shot and send you out the door," Smith said.
Smith was nearly eligible for his second shot. Now he has to start all over. The CDPHE said Dr. Moma's vaccine patients will have to start from scratch.
CDPHE wrote the following in a statement:
For people who received one dose at the Dr. Moma Health and Wellness Clinic: If you received one dose of Pfizer vaccine at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic, that dose is considered invalid and you should receive two additional doses of Pfizer vaccine according to the time frames below:
- Additional dose of Pfizer 21 days after your initial invalid Pfizer dose was received at Dr. Moma, and
- Final dose of Pfizer 21 days later (e.g., 21 days after your repeated valid dose)
If you received one dose of Moderna vaccine at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic, that dose is considered invalid and you should receive two additional doses of Moderna vaccine according to the time frames below:
- Additional dose of Moderna 28 days after your initial invalid Moderna dose was received at Dr. Moma, and
- Final dose of Moderna 28 days later (e.g., 28 days after your repeated valid dose)
If you do not know which vaccine you received at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic, you should receive two additional doses of either Moderna or Pfizer vaccine according to the time frames below:
- Additional dose of Moderna or Pfizer 28 days after your initial invalid mRNA dose was received at Dr. Moma, and
- Final dose of Moderna or Pfizer 28 days later (e.g., 28 days after your repeated valid dose)"