42 people in West Virginia mistakenly given antibodies instead of COVID vaccine
The West Virginia National Guard said 42 people on Wednesday were accidentally injected with antibodies to fight COVID-19 instead of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, health officials said. The injections of the Regeneron antibody product were given during a clinic hosted by the Boone County Health Department. The Guard said they do not believe there is any risk of harm to the 42 individuals who received the incorrect shot.
"The moment that we were notified of what happened, we acted right away to correct it, and we immediately reviewed and strengthened our protocols to enhance our distribution process to prevent this from happening again," Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, said in a Thursday news release.
Everyone who received the incorrect shot has been contacted or is in the process of being contacted, according to the release. The state Department of Health and Human Resources will follow up with them, and they will be given priority status for getting the vaccine.
"The product administered are antibodies that fight COVID-19," said Dr. Clay Marsh, the state's COVID-19 Czar, according to CBS affiliate WOWK-TV. "In fact, this product was the same one that was administered to President Trump when he became infected. While this injection is not harmful, it was substituted for the vaccine. But this occurrence provides our leadership team an important opportunity to review and improve the safety and process of vaccination for each West Virginian."
The station reported Thursday that more than 800 West Virginians are currently in the hospital fighting COVID-19 The state set a record on Dec. 31 with 801 current hospitalizations. Of those patients, 206 are in the ICU and a record number of 99 people are currently on a ventilator.
The Associated Press contributed.