Coronavirus vaccine: eight people mistakenly received a dose five times greater than indicated

In the city of Stralsund, Germany, eight healthcare workers received five times the recommended dose of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine. One of the people remains hospitalized.

“I am deeply sorry for this incident. This case is due to individual errors. I hope that everyone affected will not suffer from serious side effects, ”District Chief Stefan Kerth said in a statement he endorsed. Reuters.

The error occurred because Pfizer’s vaccine comes in vials from which five doses must then be withdrawn. Due to a “personal” failure, according to local authorities, the entire vial was provided to the toilet.

The pharmacist, after what happened, pointed out that the bottles indicate that These are multidose containers whose contents must be diluted before being administered.

Those affected, seven women and one man, were sent home, although four of them were later admitted to hospital after showing flu-like symptoms.

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In trials, doses of up to 100 micrograms were given without serious side effects, compared to the dose of 30 micrograms which is now standard, a spokesperson for the BioNTech company said.

The situation in Argentina

The Argentinian Food and Drug Regulator (ANMAT) has already authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNtech anticovid-19 vaccine. According to the party, this vaccine “presents an acceptable benefit-risk ratio” which allows its authorization, granted for a period of one year.

Business man Nicolas vaquer, head of Pfizer in Argentina and Latin America, asked the laboratory headquarters to sign the agreement with Argentina. There would be a logistical problem, since the international firm wanted the Argentine state to hire them to monitor the application as well.

It is the minister himself Ginés González García the one leading the negotiations after admitting a few days ago that the government is “pretty boringWith Pfizer for the alleged conditions imposed by the company to close the deal. It is that Casa Rosada promoted the law on vaccines in Congress, an initiative which has adapted to what was required by the laboratory, but which the international firm still considers insufficient.

On safety and efficiency

According to a report from the US Food and Drug Administration, immune protection against COVID-19 is “strong” after about 10 days since the first dose is applied. There are two applications and should be placed 21 days apart.

The most common side effects In the study, with tens of thousands of volunteers, there were injection site reactions (84.1%), fatigue (62.9%), headache (55.1%) , muscle pain (38.3%), chills (31.9%), joint pain (23.6%) and fever (14.2%).

Of the participants, six people died, although four were given a placebo. Of the two who received the formula, one participant had pre-existing obesity and atherosclerosis, and died three days after the first dose. As for the second participant, he went into cardiac arrest 60 days after the second dose.