According to a report from CBS News, 42 people who believed they were being administered a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine were mistakenly instead injected with Regneron, an antibody cocktail that is often used to treat people who have already contracted the disease.
The shots in question were reportedly administered by the West Virginia National Guard, which was working with the Boone County, West Virginia Health Department to host a clinic where the vaccine was being administered to priority patients. The West Virginia National Guard states that they believe there is no risk of harm to the individuals who received the incorrect shot, and that they are in the process of contacting everyone who received the wrong shot to notify them of what occurred so that they can return for the correct shot.
"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," said Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard.
It was not immediately clear how the injections of Regneron came to be mixed up with the vaccine. Dr. Clay Marsh, West Virginia's "COVID-19 czar," told CBS News, "While this injection is not harmful, it was substituted for the vaccine. But this occurrence provides our leadership team an important opportunity to review and improve the safety and process of vaccination for each West Virginian."
The Moderna vaccine requires two doses, 28 days apart, followed by a waiting period, before it is effective.
Regneron was administered to President Trump when he contracted the disease, and Trump credited it in part with helping him to recover from the disease quickly.
