Cheongju Pfizer Vaccine Overdose Incident... "Mistaken for Moderna Vaccine"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter So-yeon Park] The Pfizer vaccine overdose incident at a medical institution in Cheongju was found to have originated from a mistake by a newly hired medical staff member who confused it with the Moderna vaccine, which has a different administration method.

According to Cheongju City on the 14th, Clinic A, a privately commissioned medical institution located in Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju, administered 5 to 6 times the normal dose of the Pfizer vaccine to 10 recipients between the 12th and 13th.

The Pfizer vaccine is administered by mixing 0.45cc of the original solution in one vial with 1.8cc of saline, then giving 0.3cc per person.

However, it was confirmed that Nurse Assistant B, newly hired on the 31st of last month at Clinic A, confused it with the Moderna vaccine, which does not require dilution with saline, and administered 0.3cc of the thawed Pfizer vaccine original solution per person.

If diluted, the amount would have been enough for 5 to 6 people.

Clinic A confirmed the misadministration around 3:20 PM on the 13th during the leftover vaccine registration process and reported it to the Cheongwon-gu Public Health Center.

B completed vaccine training on the 2nd of this month but reportedly made this mistake.

The number of people who were overdosed with the Pfizer vaccine by B was identified as 7 on the 12th and 3 on the 13th.

They include 2 people in their 20s, 3 in their 30s, and 5 in their 40s.

The health authorities have hospitalized 6 of the 10 overdose recipients at Chungbuk National University Hospital, while the remaining 4 will self-monitor according to their own will, checking for adverse reactions more than three times a day.

So far, only mild reactions such as headaches and fever, which are commonly seen after vaccination, have been reported in some individuals.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.