NJ doctor settles case vaccination storage case for $156k

STAFFORD TOWNSHIP — State health officials say a New Jersey pediatrician will pay a $156,000 fine and change his office practices after an investigation found he improperly stored vaccines given to children.

The settlement with Dr. Michael Bleiman was announced Tuesday.

The state health department had issued a warning in January that 900 children may have been given faulty vaccines at Bleiman's practice in Manahawkin between November 2014 and July 2016. Officials said the vaccines — to protect against the mumps, measles, chickenpox and other diseases — may have been stored at improper temperatures, which reduces their effectiveness.

The affected vaccines were administered as part of Vaccines for Children, a federally funded, state-operated program that provides 1.6 million free or low-cost vaccines annually to eligible low-income children in New Jersey.

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com