State: Doctor’s wife mishandled vaccines, caused outbreak

MOUNT STERLING, Ky. – The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure says a Mount Sterling doctor allowed his unlicensed wife to mishandle vaccines, causing an infection outbreak in patients across Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the board on Friday placed Dr. Paul E. McLaughlin on five years’ probation. He also was ordered to pay $5,000 for delegating to someone without a medical license and contributing to a public health crisis.

The vaccination provider “Location Vaccination” is owned and operated by McLaughlin’s wife, Fairshinda Sabounchi McLaughlin.

The company was hired during last year’s flu seasons to provide vaccines to adult employees in more than 20 municipalities. The state Department of Public Health first began investigating the company in February after learning its patients were experiencing pain, swelling and lumps at their injection sites.

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Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com