Eight workers in a German nursing home were accidentally injected with five doses of each of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, according to reports.
The seven women and a man – aged 38 to 54 – work at the facilities in the northeastern city of Stralsund, where they received the jabs as part of a priority group, Agence France-Presse reported.
But as they were being vaccinated on Sunday, each received five doses at once, said Stefan Kerth, administrator of the Vorpommern-Ruegen district, where the house is located.
Four were admitted to a hospital for observation after developing mild flu symptoms, while the others were sent home.
“I deeply regret this incident,” said Kerth, who blamed the incident for human error. “I hope that everyone affected does not experience serious side effects.”
The incident occurred after some German districts refused to use vaccines received over the weekend on suspicion that cold conditions were interrupted during delivery, Reuters reported.
Before the launch of vaccination campaigns in several European countries this weekend, the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech said that larger than normal doses were injected during the tests without serious side effects.
The vaccine, which is designed to be administered in two injections, is being delivered in vials containing five doses once diluted each.
On Monday, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health said that each vial could be used to administer up to six doses.