The West Virginia National Guard said 42 people were accidentally injected with antibodies to fight COVID-19 instead of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, health officials said. The injections of the Regeneron antibody product were administered during a clinic hosted by the Boone County Department of Health. The Guard said it did not believe there was a risk of injuring the 42 individuals who received the incorrect shot.
“The moment we were notified of what happened, we acted immediately to correct it and immediately revised and strengthened our protocols to improve our distribution process to prevent this from happening again,” Major. General James Hoyer, deputy general to the West Virginia National Guard, said in a press release on Thursday.
Everyone who received the incorrect shot was contacted or is in the process of contacting, according to the note. The State Department of Health and Human Resources will monitor and they will have priority status for vaccination.
“The product administered is antibodies that fight COVID-19,” said Dr. Clay Marsh, the state’s COVID-19 czar, according to CBS affiliate WOWK-TV. “In fact, this product was the same product that was administered to President Trump when he was infected. Although this injection is not harmful, it has been replaced by the vaccine. But this occurrence offers our leadership team an important opportunity to review and improve safety. and vaccination process for each West Virginia. “
The station reported on Thursday that more than 800 West Virginia residents are currently in the hospital battling COVID-19. The state set a record on December 31 with 801 current hospitalizations. Of these patients, 206 are in the ICU and a record number of 99 people are currently on a ventilator.
The Associated Press contributed.