A small number of people scheduled to receive a second dose of the Moderna vaccine at Mariano’s in Aurora on Tuesday were given the Pfizer vaccine instead.
Jeff Chaney and his son were among the small group who was told they had been given the wrong vaccine.
Chaney said he doesn’t understand how it can happen. “I gave you my card and it said right on it, you know, the first dose is Moderna, so how could you, you know, go ahead and give me the Pfizer?” Chaney said.
Chaney said he and at least half a dozen other people had just gotten their injections and were waiting for the pharmacist to tell them about the mistake.
NBC 5 spoke to another man who wanted to remain anonymous, but who also received the wrong vaccine.
A small number of people scheduled to receive a second dose of the Moderna vaccine at Mariano’s in Aurora on Tuesday were given the Pfizer vaccine instead. Lauren Petty of NBC 5 reports.
“Disappointed, a little worried, nerves were a little … we tried to keep calm,” said the man.
A spokesperson for Mariano’s confirmed the incident and sent this statement:
“The Mariano’s Pharmacy in Aurora, IL has administered a small number of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines to people who received the Moderna vaccine at their first appointment. No side effects have been reported for affected patients. All affected patients have been 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 matter and will take steps to prevent a similar situation from reoccurring in the future.“
The question now posed by the people who received the wrong vaccine: what are we doing now?
“Yes, it’s a great question. We don’t know,” said Dr. Michael Angarone, 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, are they going to boost each other? And so just to be on the safe side, we say don’t take another vaccine, don’t do another series,” said Dr. Angarone.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers similar guidelines online: “If in these situations (or accidentally) two doses of different mRNA COVID-19 vaccine products are administered, no additional doses of either product are recommended at this time.”
Those involved say they hope this is a lesson learned for vaccine administrators and offered this advice to those who would receive their second dose.
“Ask them before they inject,” Chaney said.
“We’re all human, so there are going to be those mistakes that come up. And so I think it’s okay to ask if I’m getting the right vaccine,” said Dr. Angarone.