Fairfax County Pharmacy Gives Wrong COVID-19 Vaccine Dosage To Kids

LORTON, VA — A pharmacy in Lorton gave 25 children the wrong dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Fairfax County Health Department.

KC Pharmacy, on Lorton Station Boulevard, incorrectly administered the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine formulated for people 12 years and older to children ages 5 to 11 between Nov. 2 and Nov. 10, the health department said Tuesday.

The Fairfax County Health Department said it has reached out to the families to alert them of the mis-dosing and provide guidance.

Families affected should monitor their child for side effects, which could happen between one to three days after the vaccination. Side effects may include fever, chills, fatigue, pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, and headache.

Both the Virginia Department of Health and the Fairfax County Health Department recommend that parents review guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Pfizer related to mis-dosing of COVID-19 vaccine.

KC Pharmacy, whose staff administered the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, has been removed from both state and federal COVID-19 vaccination programs.

The Fairfax County Health Department is now in possession of all remaining COVID-19 vaccine inventory from KC Pharmacy and the matter has been referred to the Virginia Board of Pharmacy for further investigation, according to the health department.

Earlier this month, a Loudoun County pharmacy was removed from the state's vaccination program after the pharmacy mistakenly gave 112 children ages 5 to 11 the wrong doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Virginia Department of Health said Ted Pharmacy in Aldie gave the children a lower dose of the adult Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine than recommended.

On Nov. 5, state and federal authorities ordered Ted Pharmacy to discontinue administering the vaccine, and VDH subsequently collected all the COVID-19 vaccines from the pharmacy.

Following review of the CDC guidance, parents of the children given the wrong dose at KC Pharmacy in Lorton are encouraged to contact their child’s pediatrician or health care provider to discuss options to complete the COVID-19 vaccine series.

For children given the wrong dose, the Fairfax County Health Department said parents and pediatricians can restart the child’s COVID-19 vaccine series at least 21 days after the incorrect dose was given, or proceed with the child receiving their second dose as scheduled.

The correct dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for people 12 years and older is 0.3 milliliters (30 micrograms), and the correct dose of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years is 0.2 milliliters (10 micrograms).

Fairfax County residents with questions about COVID-19 vaccines can call 703-324-7404. For coronavirus questions, call the Fairfax County Health Department call center at 703-267-3511. Both call centers are open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

RELATED: Wrong COVID-19 Vaccine Dosage Given To Kids At Loudoun Pharmacy