Man says it’s ‘unbelievable’ he and 14 others got expired COVID vaccines at Sask. pharmacy | 24CA News
A Regina man is indignant after studying he, his spouse and a few dozen others have been lately injected with expired COVID-19 vaccines.
“We were trying to do the right thing. We’re protecting my family and others by getting this vaccination. And to hear that you got something expired, it was unbelievable,” Jignesh Padia informed 24CA News.
On Nov. 19, Padia and his spouse went to the Southland Mall Safeway pharmacy to get a bivalent COVID shot, whereas their son obtained a flu shot.
He recalled that he sensed one thing was off.
“We did notice that the pharmacist appeared a little bit tired,” Padia stated.
He stated that is why he double checked with the pharmacist that he and his spouse have been getting bivalent photographs and made his son get the flu shot first “to avoid any mismanagement.”
Then this previous Friday, Padia obtained a name from the pharmacy informing him that the photographs he and his spouse acquired had expired on Nov. 2.
He was additionally informed that they obtained doses that solely defend towards the unique coronavirus, and never the bivalent vaccine that protects towards Omicron subvariants.
“My son even said, ‘how can this happen? When there is expired food, they throw it out,'” Padia stated.
WATCH| Regina pharmacy investigating why folks got expired COVID-19 vaccines:
More than a dozen folks got expired COVID-19 vaccines from one Regina pharmacy, so what does that imply for them?
Padia and his spouse weren’t the one ones who obtained expired COVID vaccines. Sobeys, which owns Safeway pharmacies, says it has notified 15 those who they got expired doses.
The firm additionally stated all of the doses have been the monovalent COVID-19 booster, not the bivalent one.
Pharmacies are imagined to throw out expired vaccines, in response to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health.
Sobeys apologizes
Sobeys stated it is conducting an inner investigation to be taught what led to the incident and the way it may be prevented sooner or later.
“We sincerely regret that this has taken place and have apologized to our patients for the situation and inconvenience. This is contrary to the clearly outlined vaccine administration, storage and safety procedures we have in place at our pharmacies,” wrote Sarah Dawson, public affairs lead for Sobeys.
Padia has additionally requested Saskatchewan’s pharmacy regulatory physique to analyze.
The Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals says it is mandated to analyze each criticism that it receives from the general public about pharmacists, however will not be capable of publicly touch upon an open criticism or investigation.
Expired vaccines might lose effectiveness
Sobeys stated it is working with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and the vaccine producer to determine if the expired vaccines are nonetheless viable.
Expired vaccines usually are not dangerous, however might lose their effectiveness and might not produce the identical immune response relying on how lengthy they have been expired for, in response to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health.
“If they are considered viable then they will produce the same immune response as a non-expired vaccine. If determined to not be viable, the vaccine may need to be re-administered to be sure they develop an appropriate immune response,” the ministry wrote in an announcement.
There are at the moment about 1,600 doses of expired vaccine in pharmacies and SHA clinics throughout the province, in response to the ministry, which says vaccine producers repeatedly check samples of vaccines in the marketplace and, relying on the outcomes of these assessments, might prolong expiry dates.
Padia hopes to know whether or not he and his household are protected towards COVID quickly.
“I’m just puzzled,” he stated.
