At least 112 Virginia children received incorrect doses of COVID-19 vaccines after a local pharmacy tried to compensate for not having the new shots for children, according to local officials.
Ted Pharmacy in Aldie “mismanaged” partial doses of adult vaccines for children – probably either not fully protecting them or even giving them too much, said Loudoun County Health Department.
“Because they did not have the children’s formulation, they used the adult formulation, but gave only a third of the amount to the children,” said David Goodfriend, director of the health department. told the Washington Post.
“Our understanding from Ted Pharmacy is that they were trying to make a solution that is not approved,” he said.
“If it all does not go in, or it goes into the body but does not go into the muscle, or you have not pulled it all the way up to [correct] line, there is a chance that you may get too little vaccine, ”he said.
“There’s also a chance it could have given too much,” he admitted.
Authorities confiscated all of the pharmacy’s remaining coronavirus vaccines and ordered it to contact the families who had received shots. They were also sent instructions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to still get their second shot in three weeks as planned, or even to restart the series with two shots after that time.
The alarm was only sounded by “a good attentive parent” who noticed that the shots came from vials with the wrong color cap.
Dasha Hermosilla told Fox 5 that she noticed that her 7-year-old daughter was given the vaccine with a purple cap – intended for those 12 years and older – instead of the new younger children one with an orange cap.
“I would never have done this if I knew they were giving the reformulated adult vaccine. Absolutely not,” Hermosilla said.
“I should have pushed her to show me the vial of orange that she did not have, and then I should have gone.”
The Pharmacy Council told Fox 5 that it was unable to reveal whether there is an investigation into a possible violation of law or regulation.
Ester Megally, who is listed in corporate records as the owner of Ted Pharmacy, did not comment when the Washington Post reached by telephone Thursday.
“It’s a working day for us now, and we’re a little busy. I’m sorry, ”she told the newspaper.
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