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Hy-Vee confirmed that staff at one of its stores in Minnesota incorrectly diluted a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which was then given to 62 patients.
The grocery chain, whose pharmacies are among the three authorized in Minnesota to administer vaccines as part of a federal program, said the incident happened recently at its Riverfront Hy-Vee pharmacy in Mankato.
He said there was surveillance for the first dose of vaccine in 62 patients.
As explained: “Two pharmacy staff used vaccines mixed with a sterile diluent for water injection – which is commonly used to dilute injections, rather than the saline diluent provided by Pfizer.
The chain says it has consulted with third-party doctors working on the vaccination process and “received confirmation that there is no cause for medical concern.”
“We also had no patients to report side effects,” he added.
“As soon as we became aware of the incident, we began to personally call the affected patients,” he continued. “We have contacted the manufacturer and are working with each of the patients on the next steps. We have also reported this information to the appropriate regulatory agencies and retrained all staff at our pharmacy at this location.”
“We remain committed to playing an important role in the administration of COVID-19 in our local communities.”