German HCWs hospitalized following COVID-19 vaccine overdose

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Eight German health care workers (HCWs) accidentally got an overdose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday.
• Half of them were brought to the hospital after showing flu-like symptoms.
• Pfizer-BioNTech recommended that individuals who got larger doses of vaccine to undergo monitoring and “possible symptomatic treatment.”

On Sunday, four northern German health care workers (HCWs) were transmitted to the hospital following an accidental overdose from the COVID-19 vaccine. Up to five times of dosage was given to them.

Vorpommern-Ruegen district authorities claimed that 8 HCWs, ages 37 to 54, working in an elderly care facility took an excessive dosage of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Four of them yielded flu-like symptoms and was taken to the hospital for medical assessment.

When the incident revealed that an overdose was committed, the workers were advised and told to go home.

In a statement got by The Hill, district chief Stefan Kerth said: “I deeply regret the incident.”

“This individual case is due to individual errors. I hope that all those affected do not experience any serious side-effects,” he added.

In its initial statements, BioNTech noted that during their phase 1 trials, some individuals received higher doses of vaccine but did not yield any severe complications, as cited by district officials.

Per Pfizer and BioNTech, individuals who have gotten a vaccine overdose would require “monitoring of vital functions and possible symptomatic treatment.”

The incident happened days after Germany, alongside the European Union have begun its inoculation campaign following a clearance from the EU’s drug regulator last week.

Before the year ends, the EU, in coordination with vaccine developers AstraZeneca and Moderna, is targeting to inoculate over 6.25 million people.

Over the weekend, several German districts declined to take the vaccines, raising concerns that the obligatory cold temperature for the vaccine was distorted while it was in transit for delivery, per Reuters.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pfizer vaccine requires a temperature of around -112 degrees and -76 degrees Fahrenheit when being shipped.

Earlier this month, the UK was the first one to roll out its vaccination scheme and was followed by the US.

Source: The Hill