Residents of First Nation in Ontario given expired Pfizer vaccine for nearly a month
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is reporting that residents of the Saugeen First Nation in Ontario were given expired doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for nearly a month before the error was caught.
According to ISC, 71 people were given the expired doses. They were administered to residents between Aug. 13, 2021 and Sept. 9 2021.
The ISC was informed of the error on Sept. 15, and immediately launched an internal review into what caused the situation.
Since then individuals who have received expired doses have been contacted or attempted to be contacted.
Several groups were contacted for guidance including the Grey Bruce Public Health Unit and Pfizer.
The expired doses do not pose any health risks to those who have taken them but according to the ISC they have been informed that anyone who was given an expired dose will need to be revaccinated.
Following a review of the situation Saugeen First Nation (SFN) issued an update as to how the error may have occurred.
In a memo sent out to residents SFN COVID-19 Coordinator Tara Campbell made the following conclusions:
- A vaccine shipment from public health was received on July 13, 2021. The expiration date on the vials said October 2021.
- An expiration date is only valid if the vials remain frozen
- When the vaccine is thawed and stored in a cool but not frozen state it is only good for 31 days
- SFN says that the ISC stored this shipment in a thawed state meaning it was set to expire on Aug. 9 not October.
- The expiration date was adjusted on the box but not on the vials as replacing vial dates was not ISC protocol
- Those administering the doses were checking the vial dates rather than the date on the box
- SFN, including COVID-19 response staff, were not responsible for the handling of the vaccines
Officials say it is important to note that taking an expired vaccine is not harmful, but it can mean that those who were given one are not fully protected from the virus.
Asked about the issue during a briefing on Friday, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said she was not aware of the specific situation, but the vaccine program that 's being delivered is very complex and checkpoints are needed.
She is calling for an examination of the incident to try to prevent similar situations in the future.
"I do know that in such a massive undertaking there could be challenges and issues that will come up. So I think that the most genuine way of tackling the issues, having had this identified, is for the various key leadership and people trying to deliver the program to sit down together and understand what actually happened and find a path forward. "
When it comes to vaccine status those who were given the expired shots are not considered fully vaccinated.
The Saugeen First Nation has a population of just under 2,000 people and is in the Bruce Peninsula region.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.
Significant police presence as Israeli flag flies at Ottawa City Hall
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.