Ontario clinic accidentally gives people six doses of COVID-19 vaccine in one shot
A 75-year-old man is among multiple people in Ontario who say they were accidentally given the equivalent of six doses of the COVID-19 vaccine while getting their booster shot.
CTV News Toronto has spoken with multiple people who received their booster shot at the Schomberg Medical Clinic near Newmarket on Jan. 8 and were affected by the vaccine mix-up.
A 28-year-old woman and her husband, who asked not be identified, are among those who were notified about the dosage error a few hours after they got their shot.
She said they were told by the receptionist that the doctor didn’t dilute the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, meaning they had received six times the proper dose.
According to health officials, each Pfizer COVID-19 vial contains 0.25 mL of product, which saline is added to and is enough vaccine for six doses.
In this case, the vaccine was not diluted and people were given the full vial.
"We were kind of freaked out," she told CTV News Toronto. "Then we started feeling really crappy that night. The whole next couple of days we had a really bad fever, chills, and body aches. We were knocked out for a couple of days."
She said she contacted her family doctor, who told her she had never heard of this issue occurring before. They were told by their doctor to monitor for any unusual symptoms over the next several months.
The clinic sent her an incident report, which CTV News Toronto has viewed. It doesn't include much detail, except to say she received an "undiluted dose."
"The doctor should have never messed that up," she said, adding that she has concerns about potential long-term effects.
She said she was told by reception at the clinic that more than 20 people received an undiluted dose that day.
CTV News Toronto attempted to contact the doctor who administered the shots but did not receive a response. The clinic's voicemail says Jan. 8 was the first day they administered COVID-19 vaccines.
The daughter of the 75-year-old man who also received the undiluted dose said her dad was left "very lethargic and confused."
"He had no appetite. He wasn't eating for about two days," the woman, who also preferred not be identified, said.
She said her dad was taken to his family doctor to be checked.
"My dad luckily was okay. He had his blood checked, his heart rate checked. We did everything that public health told us to do, including contacting poison control."
She said they also filed a complaint with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
"You know, you make a mistake, you make a mistake, but to do it multiple times? This is people's health involved."
CTV News Toronto also spoke with a mother whose teenage son was given an undiluted dose.
York Region Public Health said in a statement they have been notified of the error at Schomberg Medical Centre.
"We know this type of incident can cause anxiety for many people," Patrick Casey, Director of Corporate Communications, said. "Rest assured COVID-19 vaccines are safe and administration errors are extremely rare."
Casey did not specify how many people received an incorrect dose.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.