A small number of people scheduled for Tuesday to receive a second dose of Moderna vaccine at Mariano’s in Aurora received the Pfizer vaccine in return.
Jeff Chaney and his son were among the small groups informed that they had the wrong vaccine.
Chaney said he didn’t understand how it could happen. “I gave you the card and he said right there, you know, the first dose is Modern, how could you, you know, go ahead and, you know, give me Pfizer?” Chaney said.
Chaney said he and at least half a dozen people had just received the shots and were sitting for the waiting period when the pharmacist told them about the mistake.
NBC 5 spoke with another man, who wished to remain anonymous, who also received the wrong vaccine.
A small number of people scheduled for Tuesday to receive a second dose of Moderna vaccine at Mariano’s in Aurora received the Pfizer vaccine in return. Lauren Petty of NBC 5 reports.
“Disappointed, a little worried, my nerves were a bit … we were trying to stay calm,” the man said.
A spokesman for Mariano confirmed the incident, sending this statement:
“Mariano’s Pharmacy, located in Aurora, IL, administered a small number of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines to people who received the Moderna vaccine at their first meeting. No adverse events were reported for the affected patients. 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 issue and will take steps to prevent a similar situation in the future.“
The question people who have received the wrong vaccine now ask: What do we do now?
“Yes, it’s a great question. We don’t know,” said Dr. Michael Angarone, an associate professor of infectious diseases at Northwestern Medicine.
Dr. Angarone said that while the two vaccines use the same mRNA technology, they are not interchangeable.
“We don’t know, will they grow up with each other? And so, just to be safe, let’s say, don’t take another vaccine, don’t do another series,” Dr. Angarone said.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide similar guidance online: “If two different doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine are administered in these situations (or by mistake), no additional doses of both products are currently recommended.”
Those involved say they hope this is a lesson learned for vaccine administrators and have offered this advice to those who will take the second dose.
“Ask them before they inject,” Chaney said.
“We’re all human, so there will be those slips that happen. And so I think it’s okay to ask and make sure I’m getting the right vaccine,” Dr. Angarone said.