A GP who gave two elderly care home patients four times the recommended dose of the Covid-19 vaccine had not been trained in how to administer the jab and has been stood down from the vaccination programme.
A 94-year-old woman and an 88-year-old man were given too much of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday, the second day of Australia’s vaccination rollout.
The pair, who are residents at the Holy Spirit Nursing Home Carseldine in Brisbane, suffered no adverse effects but are being monitored in hospital.
The two elderly people given an incorrect dose of the Pfizer vaccine re residents at the Holy Spirit Nursing Home Carseldine in Brisbane (pictured)
Health Minister Greg Hunt on Wednesday morning said the doctor was registered and had taken the necessary online training provided by the Australian Board of Nursing.
But he later told Parliament that Healthcare Australia, a company contracted by the federal government to give vaccines in aged care homes, had informed him the doctor had not been trained.
‘The revised advice is that on further investigation Healthcare Australia has advised he had not completed the required training,’ he said.
‘I have asked the Department to take action against the company and the doctor for what is a clear breach on both fronts.
‘This is being investigated by Healthcare Australia and we’re expecting a report later today.’
Minister Hunt has apologised to the families of the elderly patients for the bungle. He also said the doctor has been stood down by Healthcare Australia.
It is not clear how the doctor got the dosing so wrong. One theory is that he gave two doses of the vaccine to each patient consecutively, instead of three weeks apart.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd, who is investigating the incident, said it is possible up to four times the recommended dose was given to each patient.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said her government was only informed about the overdose late on Tuesday night.
‘Although this happened yesterday morning, Queensland authorities were only advised late last night,’ she said.
‘Discovering these details now is simply not good enough.’
Minister for Health Greg Hunt addressed the nation’s vaccine rollout and bungle on Wednesday morning (pictured)
The premier said she would write to the prime minister to demand a National Cabinet meeting as soon as possible.
‘I want to know what training is provided to the people the Federal Government is employing to administer the vaccines in our aged care facilities,’ she said.
On Wednesday morning Minister Hunt held a presser conference to explain what happened.
‘There has been one case, following all the safeguards we put in place, of what has been defined as an adverse administration,’ he said.
‘Basically, a doctor gave an incorrect dose to two patients yesterday. I think it’s very important that we’re up-front.
‘The safeguards that were put in place immediately kicked into action.’
Mr Hunt said a nurse on the scene identified that a higher than the prescribed amount of the dose was given to the two patients.
Two elderly people have been given an ‘excessive amount’ of the Covid vaccine in a jab bungle in Queensland. Pictured: Medical workers prepare the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine at the Hyatt quarantine hotel in Perth on Monday
An 94-year-old woman and an 88-year-old man were given more than the prescribed amount of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday – the second day of Australia’s Covid vaccination rollout. Pictured: Health signage is seen at Gold Coast University Hospital on February 22
He thanked the nurse for her ‘strength of character and her professionalism’.
The health minister said they would review the event and circumstances surrounding the error.
‘But the most important thing is that we engage in the transparency,’ he said.
Mr Hunt said authorities are still investigating how much of the vaccine was administered, after it was reported the two residents were given four times the recommended dose.
‘It hasn’t been confirmed, because it’s actually really hard to be able to tell what was in the needle, but it couldn’t have been more than [four times],’ he said.
‘In relation to the individual doctor, we’ll leave that to the investigation as to whether or not they either did not understand or did not complete it, but it was a serious breach in terms of following the protocol.’
Mr Hunt said the latest advice – which he was given five minutes before a press conference on Wednesday morning – was that the pair had not experienced an adverse reaction.
‘It is in line with the fact that significantly higher doses were used as parts of clinical trials around the world,’ he said.
‘The rollout continues. There will be cases. There will be challenges.
‘This has happened in other jurisdictions overseas.’
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly also noted that other countries, including Germany and the UK, have experienced similar bungles in their coronavirus vaccine rollout at aged care facilities.
‘The side effect profile was minimal particularly in the older people. That gives us hope,’ he said.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly is seen at a press conference on Wednesday, where the government addressed a coronavirus vaccine bungle in Queensland
Medical workers prepare the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine at the Hyatt quarantine hotel in Perth on Monday
The Pfizer vial contains enough for around about six doses.
Lincoln Hopper, the CEO or St Vincent’s (Holy Spirit) Care Services, said the doctor who wrongly administered the vaccine would be reported to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
‘Yesterday was very distressing to us, to our residents and to their families,’ he said.
‘This incident is extremely concerning. It’s caused us to question whether some of the clinicians given the job of administering the vaccine have received the appropriate training.
‘Certainly, health authorities and contracted vaccination providers should be re-emphasising to their teams the need to exercise greater care so an error like this doesn’t happen again.’
An ambulance is seen at the entry to the Holy Spirit Nursing Home in Brisbane on Wednesday after news broke that two residents were given an incorrect dose of the Covid vaccine