A pharmacy in Loudon County incorrectly administered the COVID-19 vaccine to 112 children.
The mistaken doses were distributed on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The pharmacy in Aldie, Virginia gave vials with doses of the vaccine intended for people over the age of 12 to more than 100 children between the ages of 5 and 11.
“The pharmacy attempted to provide a proper dose,” Loudoun County Health Department director Dr. David Goodfriend told CNBC on Thursday. “Because they did not have the children’s formulation they used the adult formulation but only gave a third of the amount to the children. Our understanding from Ted Pharmacy is they were trying to do a workaround, which is not authorized.”
The pharmacy’s strategy is unreliable, the director said, because it is difficult to ensure the accuracy of the dosage.
Children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive a smaller dose of the Pfizer vaccine following an Emergency Use Authorization from the CDC, making 28 million children eligible to get vaccinated.
The pharmaceutical company produced specially color-coded vials to distinguish between doses.
In a statement, a Virginia health department spokesperson said the pharmacy has been instructed to stop distributing shots altogether on Friday by state officials.
“Ted Pharmacy relinquished the rest of its COVID-19 vaccines to the Loudoun County Health Department,” reports KOB15. “Officials later released an alert about the pharmacy’s error, encouraging parents to consult with their child’s pediatrician.”
Parents have to wait 21 days to restart the vaccine process for their affected children with the correct dosage, according to CDC.
The county offered a different solution. Its health department said parents could get their kids the second dose as scheduled with correctly labeled tops.
“The young children’s dosage comes in a vial with an orange cap, while doses for those 12 and older come in vials with purple caps or purple bordered labels,” per The Washington Post.
A parent caught the mistake and reported it to the state’s health department.
