Family mistakenly given COVID vaccines instead of flu shots, Indiana attorney says

A family of four says it was mistakenly given COVID-19 vaccines instead of flu shots at a Walgreens pharmacy in Indiana, according to the family’s attorney.

In a news release sent to McClatchy News, the Evansville family’s attorney said this was an accidental shot mix-up at their local Walgreens this month. The family of two adults and two kids, ages 4 and 5, have not been publicly identified.

Attorney Daniel Tuley, also of Evansville, says the four family members went to Walgreens wanting the annual flu shot. They left thinking that’s the shot they each received.

But about 90 minutes later, a pharmacy employee called to explain the vaccine mistake.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, also known as Comirnaty, has not been approved for children under 12, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There are currently no COVID-19 vaccines approved for that age group.

In late September, Pfizer announced it submitted data from a study to the FDA regarding its vaccine in kids ages 5 to 11, according to McClatchy News. The study tested using a “lower dose” of the shots, unlike the doses the family says they received at Walgreens. Children 12 and up currently receive the adult dosage.

In a statement to McClatchy News, Walgreens spokesperson Kris Lathan said Walgreens cannot comment on “specific patient events” because of privacy laws.

“However, in general, such instances are rare and Walgreens takes these matters very seriously,” Lathan said. ”In the event of any error, our first concern is always our patients’ well-being. Our multi-step vaccination procedure includes several safety checks to minimize the chance of human error and we have reviewed this process with our pharmacy staff in order to prevent such occurrences.”

The family’s children are both experiencing a fever, body aches, coughs, headaches and nausea, according to the news release. The 4-year-old has had a fever for over a week, Tuley said Monday, and they are being treated by a pediatric cardiologist for tachycardia and high blood pressure.

“Their prognosis is uncertain at this point in time, and their medical treatment providers continue to monitor their conditions,” Tuley said.

The family has reported this to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to WEHT, and a lawsuit had not been filed as of Friday.

Last month, McClatchy News reported a Walgreens pharmacist in Maryland mistakenly injected a 4-year-old with the Pfizer vaccine instead of the desired flu shot.

Following the incident, Walgreens spokesperson Phil Caruso told McClatchy News that safety checks are in place, and they’ve “recently reviewed this process with our pharmacy staff in order to prevent a future occurrence.”

“Patient safety is our top priority,” Caruso said. “Events like this are extremely rare and we take this matter very seriously. We are in touch with the patient’s family and we have apologized.”

At the time, WBFF reported the family wasn’t planning to file a formal complaint with Maryland regulators.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children 12 years and older, and without any contraindications, receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This is similar to the CDC’s recommendation.

“Getting a COVID-19 vaccination can help protect your child from getting COVID-19,” the CDC says. ”Early information shows that the vaccines may help keep people from spreading COVID-19 to others. They can also help keep your child from getting seriously sick even if they do get COVID-19. Help protect your whole family by getting yourself and your children 12 years and older vaccinated against COVID-19.”

The CDC says that cases of myocarditis and pericarditis — inflammation of the heart — have been reported in adolescents and young adults who received mRNA-based Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, though “these reports are rare.”

“The known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis,” according to the CDC.

This story was originally published October 11, 2021 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Family mistakenly given COVID vaccines instead of flu shots, Indiana attorney says."