A pharmacist dilutes the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine while preparing it for administration to staff and residents of the Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads, an elderly community in Falls Church, Virginia, on Dec. 30, 2020.
Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images
Dozens of people in West Virginia mistakenly received Regeneron’s treatment with Covid-19 antibodies instead of the Moderna vaccine, the West Virginia National Guard announced Thursday.
The state National Guard said 42 people received the treatment, which is administered intravenously, at a vaccination clinic staffed by the Boone County Health Department. The National Guard said on Wednesday that it had learned of the error.
Anyone who received the antibody treatment in place of the vaccine, which is given through an injection in the arm, has been contacted, Julie Miller, an administrator in the Boone County Health Department, told CNBC by email. She added that “we don’t believe there is any risk of harm.”
Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment, which must be infused, is seen as a promising treatment for Covid-19 – especially when given early in the course of infection. But the confusion in West Virginia is just one example of confusion in the rush to distribute the vaccine to tens of millions of people. The roll-out was slower than expected and was characterized by logistical challenges.
“It has been determined that this was an isolated incident,” Miller said. “All affected individuals will be offered the COVID-19 vaccine today.”
She said the health department will work closely with the state guard and the Department of Health and Human Resources to review its policies and procedures.
Miller did not provide details of the cause of the confusion.
Representatives from the West Virginia National Guard and the office of the Governor of West Virginia have not responded to CNBC’s request for further comment on how the error originated.
Major General James Hoyer, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, said in a statement that his troops “acted immediately” to correct the error once they found out what had happened. “We immediately revised and strengthened our protocols to improve our distribution process and prevent this from happening again,” he said in a statement.
He added that the state will continue to ramp up the distribution of the vaccine “to save more lives every day.”
Dr. Clay Marsh, the state’s czaar of Covid-19, noted in a statement that the Regeneron treatment that is accidentally administered instead of the vaccine is the same product “that was given to President Trump when he became infected.”
“While this injection is not harmful, it replaced the vaccine,” he said. “But this incident represents a significant opportunity for our leadership team to review and improve the safety and vaccination process for every West Virginiaan.”