United States: The cases linked to RSV and other respiratory illnesses are still high in certain areas of the United States; however, unusual cases regarding the administration of wrong vaccines against RSV have made headlines – raising the worries of the healthcare personnel.
It is to be noted that the recent reports by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have revealed that wrong vaccinations have been administrated to pregnant women and infants by health experts from several health clinics. Following the disclosure of the matter, the health agency has asked the health clinics and hospitals to be careful while administering the vaccine to the general public, especially the vulnerable section of society.
According to the reports, the pharmacists and clinics have been wrongly administrating Pfizer’s Abrysvo and GSK’s Arexvy, which are approved for adults aged 60 or above. However, only Abrysvo is approved for pregnant people, and none of them is for young children or infants, according to Scripps News.
Alarming data revealed by CDC!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently shared dramatic figures and sounded alarm. The data unveiled that as of January 17, 2024, as many as 128 pregnant women have received the wrong vaccination against respiratory illness – RSV and 25 infants under the age of two (2) have received vaccines that are approved for adults only.
What does the CDC have to comment on?
While addressing the concern, the health agency CDC outlined, “Most reports of administration errors in young children occurred in infants younger than eight months.”
In addition to this, it underscored, “Administration errors for both young children and pregnant people occurred in outpatient settings, including doctor’s offices; administration errors of the GSK RSV vaccine (Arexvy) in pregnant people also occurred in pharmacies.”
Is wrong administration a serious threat?
According to the reports published by the CDC, there are no severe side effects or reactions of wrong administration; however, the (wrong) vaccine could show mild reactions. In addition to this, the health experts emphasized that Doxvy was not tested among pregnant women or children – which could be a possible reason behind the limited information about the effects in these groups.
What precautionary measures did the CDC suggest?
Following the wrong vaccine dosage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked the clinics and pharmacists to give a shot of antibody nirsevimab if a wrong RSV shot is given to babies. And in the case of a pregnant person, another dose of vaccine should not be administrated.
In addition to this, the health agency has furthermore mentioned that medical professionals must conduct training sessions for their staff for better vaccine administration.
RSV – a serious health infection
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, also known as RSV, is a highly contagious infection that attacks the respiratory tract of an individual. The infection could be dangerous for the younger population, including infants, as well as for adults with weakened immune systems.