Several people who went to a clinic at a Virginia Kroger this week to receive the COVID-19 vaccine were mistakenly given empty syringes.
A spokesman for the grocery and pharmacy retailer told NBC’s subsidiary Richmond WWBT Wednesday that the incident at its location in the suburban town of Midlothian was an ‘honest mistake’, adding that ‘all affected customers have been contacted and have now received the COVID-19 vaccine. ”
“We apologize for this oversight and the inconvenience these customers are causing,” the spokesman added.
Kroger told local ABC branch WRIC that “less than 10” people were affected by the accident at The Little Clinic location, and also said that previous statements by the company that the syringes were filled with saline solution had been determined after a more thorough investigation than incorrect.
Carrie Hawes, one of the individuals who received an empty shot, told WWBT that she had gotten an appointment to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccination at the Kroger location.
Hawes, who qualified for the vaccine under Group 1B for people 65 and younger with underlying medical conditions, told the local news office that she had received a call the next day to inform her of the error.
“My initial reaction was shock and surprise and a little anxiety,” she said, adding that she was able to return to the store within hours of the call to get the vaccination properly.
A Kroger spokesman told WRIC that the company was in contact with the Virginia Department of Health to address the problem, and that clinic workers were now trained on how to administer the vaccines properly.
In Kroger’s statement to WWBT, the company said it has so far administered more than 836,000 coronavirus vaccines at its locations across the country.
“Kroger encourages everyone to get the vaccine at the earliest stage they are eligible,” the statement added.
The Hill contacted Kroger for additional information.