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Dozens in Massachusetts
Get Wrong H1N1 Vaccine
Fifteen Massachusetts firefighters and several residents were
caught in a medical mix-up when the H1N1 vaccine they thought
they were getting turned out to be a vaccine for another strain
of flu.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now warning health departments
about the possible vaccination label confusion.
The label of the seasonal flu vaccination had H1N1 on the label
as one of the strains targeted -- but not the current H1N1 strain.
Paul Buckley, the Needham Fire Department chief, was among those
coming in Monday to get the H1N1 vaccine.
Buckley had been notified by the department that the vaccination
he originally got, along with a number of his colleagues, was the
seasonal flu vaccination by mistake.
In all, 47 people were affected. The mistake left people confused
and concerned.
"Hopefully, we haven't had any issues in the past week where
some of the people came in contact with the H1N1 virus or possibly
got sick from it believing they were vaccinated when they actually
weren't," Buckley said.
The town's health department has been calling everyone to tell
them about the mistake. Officials said it was harmless and amounted
to getting a booster for the seasonal flu.
Dr. Janice Berns said it is the first mistake like this that
she has seen in her 40-year career in public health.
"I think the label doesn't appear to be clear," she
said.
Health departments are now being alerted to the possibility of
making this mistake.
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A full list of h1n1 vaccine ingredients, alerts and warnings.
Reference
Sources:
thebostonchannel.com
November 25, 2009
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