Eight workers at a German nursing home were reportedly accidentally injected with five doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
The seven women and a man, aged between 38 and 54, work at the facilities in the northeastern town of Stralsund, where they were beaten as part of a priority group, it reported. the Agence France-Presse.
But as they were inoculated on Sunday, they each received five doses at once, said Stefan Kerth, the administrator of the Vorpommern-Ruegen district where the house is located.
Four were admitted to hospital for observation after developing mild flu-like symptoms, while the others were sent home.
“I deeply regret this incident,” said Kerth, who blamed the incident for a human error. “I hope all those affected do not suffer serious side effects.”
The incident came after some German districts refused to use the vaccines received over the weekend on suspicion that cold conditions were disrupted during childbirth, Reuters reported.
Prior to the launch of vaccination campaigns in several European countries this weekend, German pharmacist BioNTech said higher-than-normal doses had been injected during trials without serious side effects.
The vaccine, designed to be given in two injections, is being given in vials containing five doses each once diluted.
On Monday, a Ministry of Health spokeswoman said the vials could be used to give up to six doses.