After their two children were given an adult dose of a COVID-19 vaccine instead of the paediatric form, an Ontario family was forced to wait a week for answers, resulting in many sleepless nights.
Angela and Felipe Neto took their two youngest children, ages six and eight, to a COVID-19 immunization clinic in Napanee, Ont., on Dec. 22 for their first vaccination.
“We were waiting to see if they were good to go after they got the shots,” Felipe Neto told CTV News Toronto last week. “Then a lady moved us to the other room and informed us the kids had been vaccinated with the adult version of Moderna, which is not even tested for children.”
“And then I asking about what we should expect and she had no idea.”
After asking for a new receipt that showed the adult dose, the family was simply told to monitor the children for any negative reactions. No further information was given to the family, who said they aren’t sure what to watch out for.
Felipe Neto said that he and his wife barely slept that first night.
“What if their hearts stopped beating and I’m sleeping because they took an untested vaccine. That’s so scary,” he said.
Angela Neto said that she called her colleagues, who work as nurses at a hospital in Kington, Ont., for advice
The children have not experienced any severe side effects to the adult vaccine dose, which the family is grateful for, but they say that it was the confusion and lack of communication that bothered them the most.
“It’s way too scary when someone tells you, ‘Oh, sorry. We messed up with your kids and we don’t know what may happen.’ What can happen?They can die? We don’t know. Holy cow,” Felipe Neto said.
“We were not causing a scene or anything. I understand mistakes happen. But to be put in a room aside, leave your kids alone to receive this kind of news and a goodbye, go home and see what happens… what is being done? Did they open an investigation? What is happening?”
An official with the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A)Public Health Unit got back to the family on Dec. 31 after numerous calls. The official apologized for the mistake and told the family that the kids should still get a second dose of vaccine.
KFL&A Public Health told CTV News Toronto in a statement Tuesday they do not comment on individual medical cases, but there are processes in place to review all incidents that are reported.
“A review of the incident with all involved employees and prompt actions made to mitigate future recurrences, as well as identifying potential to improve clinical practices,” according to the report.
“In the event of a vaccine error or deviation, clinic procedures will follow the most recent Ministry of Health guideline document.”
If an adult’s shot of Moderna is given to a child under the age of 12, it should be considered a “legitimate dose,” according to provincial rules amended on Dec. 30, 2021—which have yet to be published online.
According to the government, these youngsters should still get a second dose of the paediatric Pfizer vaccine, and officials should warn parents about “the risk for local and systemic adverse consequences.”
Source_ The Canadion Press
