West Virginia: 42 people mistakenly injected with antibodies instead of COVID-19 vaccine

The West Virginia National Guard, who is overseeing the vaccination campaign in the state, on Thursday said that at least 42 people were mistakenly injected antibodies instead of the COVID-19 vaccine. According to ABC News, the West Virginia National Guard informed 42 individuals were administered the Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment instead of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, adding that it was an "isolated incident" and an investigation has been launched to determine how the mix-up happened. 

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'Acted right away'

According to the report, the individuals who were given the antibodies have been contacted and informed about the incident. The 42 people have been rescheduled to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days. The incident took place at a COVID-19 vaccination centre set up by the Boone County Health Department.

"The moment that we were notified of what happened, we acted right away to correct it, and we immediately reviewed and strengthened our protocols to enhance our distribution process to prevent this from happening again," Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, said in a press release.

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The United States approved its first COVID-19 vaccine on December 11 and on December 14 vaccination campaigns were rolled out across the country, prioritising health care professionals. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorisation to Moderna's COVID-129 vaccine on December 18. As of December 31, more than 2 million people have been inoculated in the country. 

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Meanwhile, several COVID-19 vaccine-related cases have popped up in the country. Last week a pharmacist from Wisconsin destroyed nearly 500 doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, following which he was fired and arrested by the local police. New York police launched an investigation into reports earlier this week that a health care provider may have illegally acquired the COVID-19 vaccine and possibly distributing them among the members of the public. 

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