On Tuesday, two medical staff members from the Iowa Department of Corrections incorrectly administered the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine to 77 inmates at the Iowa State Penitentiary.
It is believed that the inmates at the men's maximum-security prison were injected with six times the recommended amount. The mix-up is still being investigated. The Pfizer vaccine is packaged as a concentrate that must be diluted with saline solution before administering.
So far, the only side effects that the inmates have experienced are those commonly associated with the Pfizer vaccine. Both Pfizer and the CDC said not to expect any major side effects but that the affected inmates should be closely monitored for at least 48 hours.
The two staff members who made the error have been placed on administrative leave.
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