Wrong COVID vaccine given to 25 children ages 5-11 at Virginia pharmacy, officials say
Dozens of children were given the wrong COVID-19 vaccine at a Virginia pharmacy earlier in November, officials said.
Between Nov. 2 and Nov. 10, 25 children ages 5-11 were “incorrectly administered” a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine intended for people ages 12 and older at KC Pharmacy in Lorton, Virginia, according to an alert the Fairfax County Health Department issued Tuesday, Nov. 16.
The children were given 10 micrograms of the dose intended for older kids and adults, health officials said.
The COVID-19 vaccine available to younger children is a lower dose than what’s given to older children and adults. Kids ages 5-11 receive 10 micrograms of the Pfizer vaccine while those older than 12 receive 30 micrograms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But the two doses are diluted differently, and the CDC says they are not interchangeable.
Children cannot be given 10 micrograms of the adult vaccine instead of 10 micrograms of the dose specifically designed for them. To keep things straight, the vaccine vials have different colored lids: the vaccine for kids ages 5-11 has an orange lid, while the one for people ages 12 and up has a purple lid, the CDC said.
KC Pharmacy said in a statement to McClatchy News that it was not aware there was a orange-cap vial specifically for children ages 5-11 and that it “stopped administering the vaccine” when it became aware.
“We would like to apologize to the community for the trouble and inconvenience,” the statement said. “We are a family-owned independent pharmacy and thrive on helping the community and building strong connections with our patients. Our intentions were never to deceive our patients or intentionally give them, what is considered the wrong vaccine.”
The pharmacy has been removed from state and federal COVID-19 vaccination programs, and health officials are “in possession of all remaining COVID-19 vaccine inventory from KC Pharmacy” the county health department said. The incident was “referred to the Virginia Board of Pharmacy for further investigation.”
KC Pharmacy said in its statement that it will be working to get more training and will re-apply to administer the COVID-19 vaccines again in the future.
”Again, we sincerely apologize for putting any of our patients in an uncomfortable situation, our intentions were to only help our community and did not mean to cause any harm,” it said.
The Fairfax County Health Department said it notified the families of the children who were given the wrong dose and provided them with guidance on the next steps. Parents are encouraged to review CDC recommendations and to talk with their child’s pediatrician about how to proceed.
The health department said parents and doctors can decide to “restart the child’s COVID-19 vaccine series at least 21 days after the incorrect dose was given” or “proceed with the child receiving their second dose as scheduled.” The two-dose series should be administered at least 21 days apart.
The CDC said that, in general, if 10 micograms of the Pfizer vaccine intended for people ages 12 and older is given to a child ages 5-11, the agency does not recommend repeating the dose, according to the county health department.
The county’s alert comes about a week after health officials said another pharmacy in Virginia incorrectly administered the COVID-19 vaccine to younger children.
Between Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, an estimated 112 children ages 5-11 were incorrectly administered a COVID-19 vaccine dose intended for people ages 12 and older at Ted Pharmacy in Aldie, Virginia, the Virginia Department of Health told McClatchy News in a statement on Nov. 11.
State health officials said the mistake resulted in those children receiving too low of a dose. Ted Pharmacy was also ordered to stop administering COVID-19 vaccines, and state health officials said they contacted other pharmacies to provide “additional communication that outlined vaccine administration guidance.”
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for people ages 5 and older, the CDC has said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized it for emergency use in children ages 5-11 on Oct. 29. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines remain available only to people ages 18 and older.
“Vaccinating children will help protect them from getting COVID-19 and therefore reducing their risk of severe disease, hospitalizations, or developing long-term COVID-19 complications,” the CDC said “Getting your children vaccinated can help protect them against COVID-19, as well as reduce disruptions to in-person learning and activities by helping curb community transmission.”
This story was originally published November 18, 2021 at 7:50 AM with the headline "Wrong COVID vaccine given to 25 children ages 5-11 at Virginia pharmacy, officials say."
