Two elderly Australians have been given four times the recommended dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a Queensland aged care home.
A man, 88, is in hospital as a precaution and a woman, 94, also received the extra dosage at Holy Spirit Carseldine. The doctor has been stood down from Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout program after giving the two patients the incorrect dose. Health Minister Greg Hunt revealed the blunder in a press conference this morning. “Basically a doctor gave an incorrect dose to two patients yesterday,” he said. “It’s important we’re upfront.” RELATED: Follow our coronavirus news
Health Minister Greg Hunt has revealed two people have been given a COVID-19 vaccine overdose. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images
Mr Hunt said the patients were being monitored and no adverse reactions had been reported so far.
“This is an individual practitioner who has clearly made an error and around the country - and you will remember from multiple press conferences, I’ve indicated that whether it’s the flu, whether it’s other things, during the course of any one year, there would be challenges, issues and errors,” he said.
“Ordinarily they wouldn’t necessarily be focused on. They’d be dealt with through the ordinary measures.
“Because of the national focus on this, it’s natural and understandable that those things which would ordinarily occur are given greater prominence.
“I absolutely understand that and, indeed, I’ve made the decision that I thought we should address this upfront to show that the safety guards that were put in place did actually work.”
Mr Hunt said while there was “an initial error”, three safeguards were immediately kicked into place.
“Firstly, the nurse on scene responded,” he said.
“Secondly, the company responded, and thirdly, the health care agencies, the co-operation between the Commonwealth and Queensland responded.”
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