Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - December 12, 2004
Steve Karnowski, Associated Press Writer
Michelle Torgerson, 33, said she sold vaccine left over from clinics she had run in the past and maintained the vaccine was wholesome and that she did not dilute it.
Torgerson said she called Sunday's news conference because she wanted to explain what happened at Augsburg College two weeks ago, when about three dozen students and staff received flu shots from her.
Torgerson caused concern at the Minneapolis college when officials said she abruptly left the campus after someone questioned her credentials. Many students feared they may had been injected with something harmful; several had HIV tests.
"My name and my family's reputation are being destroyed," Torgerson said. "I have not been charged with a crime, but I have been on trial all week to prove my innocence. I've been falsely portrayed as a thief, liar and a bad nurse -- none of which is true."
Tests performed by the Food and Drug Administration on the vaccine vials police seized from Torgerson's home indicated they did contain flu vaccine, though some of the shots had been diluted with saline. None of the people who received a shot has exhibited any signs of illness.
Torgerson was arrested on suspicion of theft and drug possession, but no charges have been filed. Officials are still investigating.
Torgerson said she got permission from an administrator to set up a booth at the school where she sold the shots for $20 apiece. She and her lawyer, Robert Hajek, did not name the administrator.
Torgerson said she was trying to raise money for a fund-raiser at her 9-year-old daughter's school on behalf of the American Heart Association.
Torgerson and Hajek disputed accounts that she left "abruptly" when a school official asked what she was doing. She said she had planned to stay at the college for only an hour and left when that time was up.
Hajek also questioned the tests that found saline in the vaccine vials, saying he will have experts review the data.
"I never had any saline," Torgerson said.
Torgerson said she got the vaccine from her employer, Maxim Healthcare Services, which said last week that it had directed Torgerson in November to return any vaccine left over from the clinics she ran. Torgerson said her supervisor told her not to return the vaccine.
Police took the money Torgerson collected from the shots. Even without the money, Torgerson's daughter won the fund-raising competition; she collected a stuffed puppy doll on Thursday, Hajek said.
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