A small number of people who had to receive a second dose of Moderna vaccine at Mariano’s in Aurora on Tuesday received the Pfizer vaccine.
Jeff Chaney and his son were among the small group and were told they were getting the wrong vaccine.
Chaney said he does not understand how this could happen. “I gave you my card and it says right away, you know, the first dose is Moderna, so how can you, you know, go on and, you know, give me the Pfizer?” Chaney said.
Chaney said he and at least half a dozen other people had just gotten their shots and were sitting for the wait when the pharmacist told them of the mistake.
NBC 5 spoke to another man who wished to remain anonymous, who also received the wrong vaccine.
A small number of people who had to receive a second dose of Moderna vaccine at Mariano’s in Aurora on Tuesday received the Pfizer vaccine. Lauren Petty of NBC 5 reported.
“Disappointed, a little worried, nerves were kind of … we tried to stay calm,” the man said.
A Mariano spokesman confirmed the incident and sent this statement:
“The Mariano’s pharmacy in Aurora, IL, administered a small number of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines to people who received the Moderna vaccine during their first appointment. No adverse events were reported for the patients involved. All affected patients were contacted. We thank these patients for their understanding and apologize for their inconvenience. Kroger Health has reported to both the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health and our team is investigating the matter and will take steps to prevent a similar situation from recurring in the future.“
The question the people who received the wrong vaccine are now asking: What are we doing now?
“Yes, this is a wonderful question. We do not know,” said Dr. Michael Angarone, an associate professor of infectious diseases at Northwestern Medicine, said.
Dr. Angarone said that although the two vaccines use the same mRNA technology, they are not interchangeable.
“We do not know, are they going to give each other a boost? And just to be on the safe side, we say: do not get another vaccine, do not do another series,” said Dr.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides similar guidelines online: “If two doses of different mRNA COVID-19 vaccine products are administered in these situations (or accidentally), no additional doses of either product are currently recommended. “
Those involved say they hope this is a lesson taught to vaccine administrators and have offered this advice to those who are going to get their second dose.
“Ask them before they inject,” Chaney said.
“We are all human, so there will be such eliminations. And I think it is good to ask and make sure I get the right vaccine,” said Dr. Angarone said.