Nearly 100 kids got ‘incorrect’ COVID vaccine dose at Maryland school, officials say
Nearly 100 children received an “incorrect” COVID-19 vaccine dosage at an elementary school in Maryland, county officials said.
Parents of 98 students who attend South Lake Elementary School in Montgomery County, next to Washington, D.C., learned their children “received doses of the Pfizer vaccine that were diluted more than recommended” on Nov. 10, the county said in a Nov. 15 news release.
The students received the incorrect Pfizer doses at a pop-up clinic held at the school.
“We apologize for the error, and we are offering another opportunity for the children to be revaccinated,” Dr. James Bridgers, acting county health officer, said in a statement.
Another clinic will be held on Nov. 17 for the affected students to get another vaccine dose, according to the release.
More than 60 students are scheduled to show up for an additional appointment so far at the clinic between 4 and 7 p.m., county spokesperson Mary Anderson told McClatchy News over the phone.
She added that the county is working with families whose children are unable to make it to the clinic to schedule vaccine appointments.
When a staff member of the clinic realized the mistake in the Pfizer doses, officials notified the Maryland Department of Health and Pfizer, the release said.
The Maryland Department of Health and Pfizer advised that the students receive an additional dose as soon as possible.
“We are confident that this is an isolated situation, and staff have already received additional training on reconstituting and administering pediatric doses,” Bridgers said.
A school meeting is scheduled the evening of Nov. 16 to answer questions from parents, Anderson said.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was officially recommended for children ages 5-11 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Nov. 2. It was authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 29.
Since then, over 11,146 children ages 5-11 were vaccinated at clinics sponsored by Montgomery County and Montgomery County Public Schools, according to the release.
Additionally, 8,601 doses were administered to children by local physicians and pharmacies.
The county announced on Nov. 16 that indoor mask wearing will again be mandated since the area returned to a “substantial transmission” of COVID-19 based on CDC guidelines in a news release.
The CDC refers to “substantial transmission” of the virus as 50-99 cases per 100,000 residents over seven days, the release noted.
There have been 60 positive COVID-19 cases per 100,00 residents in the county over the past seven days as of Nov. 16, according to the county’s dashboard.
This story was originally published November 16, 2021 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Nearly 100 kids got ‘incorrect’ COVID vaccine dose at Maryland school, officials say."
.jpg)