MANKATO, Minnesota. (FOX 9) – A Hy-Vee pharmacy in Mankato, Minnesota incorrectly administered the COVID-19 vaccine to 62 patients, according to a statement from Hy-Vee.
Pharmacy team members at Riverfront Hy-Vee diluted Pfizer’s vaccine with an injection of sterile water instead of the saline diluent provided by Pfizer.
Minnesota Hy-Vee administers incorrectly diluted COVID-19 vaccine to 62 patients
A Hy-Vee pharmacy in Mankato, Minnesota incorrectly administered the COVID-19 vaccine to 62 patients, according to a statement from Hy-Vee.
So far, the affected patients have not reported any side effects. Hy-Vee consulted independent doctors, who said there was “no reason for medical concern”.
Hy-Vee reached out to those affected, including Greg Brown, of Champlin, 66, who received his first dose of the vaccine on Tuesday at the pharmacy. Now, he is waiting for answers.
“We have been on the phone with Pfizer for more than two hours, waiting for a response from Pfizer,” said Brown. “Finally, they say, we don’t have enough data. This has not been studied. There is no data of any kind.”
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, Brown and the other affected patients are unlikely to need to revaccate or receive another vaccine, but are awaiting a response from CDC and Pfizer.
Although Brown says the wait for clarity is unnerving, he doesn’t want his experience to keep others from getting the vaccine.
“Everyone needs a shot, mistakes happen, there are no life-threatening injuries,” said Brown. “I’m just not comfortable with, ‘Oh, a pharmacist is going to contact you.’ No, that is not acceptable now. “
According to Hy-Vee, all pharmacy employees at Riverfront Hy-Vee have been retrained to administer the vaccine.
Hy-Vee’s full statement:
Hy-Vee recently received information that our Riverfront Hy-Vee pharmacy in Mankato had an oversight when administering the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to 62 patients. Two members of the pharmacy team used vaccines mixed with a sterile water injection diluent – which is commonly used to dilute injections, instead of the saline diluent provided by Pfizer. After consulting several third-party doctors who work in the vaccination process, we received confirmation that there is no reason for medical concern. We also had no patients reporting any side effects.
As soon as we heard about the incident, we started to personally call the affected patients. We contacted the manufacturer and are working with each of the patients on the next steps. We also communicate this information to the appropriate regulatory agencies and retrain all members of our pharmacy staff at this location.
We remain committed to playing an important role in administering the COVID-19 vaccine in our local communities.