Maryland elementary school accidentally vaccinates wrong student in mix-up
LUSBY, Md. (7News) — A school nurse accidentally vaccinated the wrong student at a covid clinic at a Calvert County elementary school, health officials confirm. According to Deputy Health Officer for Calvert County Champ Thomaskutty, a student who didn't have consent from parents to receive a COVID vaccine for 5 to 11 years old got the vaccination in error.
Calvert County Administrator Mark Willis told TheBayNet.com that a 6-year-old student at Dowell Elementary in Lusby, Maryland was vaccinated without parent consent on Nov. 9. Willis told BayNet two 6-year-olds had the same full names, but different birthdays. One child received parental consent and one did not, according to Willis, and when the student told the nurse they weren't supposed to get the vaccine, the school tried to call the parent to clarify, but mistakenly called the wrong parent.
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When they recognized the mistake, the health department and school system worked to establish an additional verification protocol to prevent this from happening again, officials said in an email to 7News.
Each teacher will do a final verification check that the names on the vaccination list match both the child and their name tags. There are already two layers of child verification in the vaccination room. Historically, if there's an issue they would call the child's parent.
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"Going forward, in addition to speaking to the parent, we will have the parent speak directly to the child with the nurse listening on the speaker to absolutely be certain that the parent and child match," Calvert County Health Officer Laurence Polsky wrote in a letter to Charles County Public School. "This may be done through video such as FaceTime or additional information will be obtained, such as a nickname that only the child’s parents would know."
"For the first time in well over 15,000 vaccinations, a student who was not consented by their parents inadvertently received a vaccination. That student is doing well, and parents were immediately notified once the error was recognized," Polsky wrote in part.
"I want to reassure you that all of our staff, including me, take any error extremely seriously and have already taken steps to best ensure that this never happens again. We clearly recognize the responsibility we have to your children and to you to deliver safe and appropriate care," he continued.
"There is nothing more important to us than keeping the children of our county safe," Dr. Polsky added. He said the nurses were visibly upset about the situation.
The county also postponed this week's remaining school-based clinics until next week to give parents time to review the letter.
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More than 100 children were given the wrong dose of the vaccine at Ted Pharmacy in Loudoun County over two days last week.
READ MORE | What parents need to know about a COVID vaccine mix-up with kids at a Loudoun Co. pharmacy
Health officials said that parents should look for an orange cap on syringes for covid vaccines for kids ages 5 to 11 years old.
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Read the full letter below:
November 11, 2021
This week, the Calvert County Health Department has been providing Covid vaccines to students in our county’s schools. The Health Department has teamed with Calvert County Public Schools to provide influenza vaccinations for well over a decade. During that time, protocols have been in place to best assure that students who are consented by their parents to receive vaccination receive appropriate and safe care. For the first time in well over 15,000 vaccinations, a student who was not consented by their parents inadvertently received a vaccination. That student is doing well, and parents were immediately notified once the error was recognized.
For all of our community’s parents who have trusted the Calvert Health Department over the years, I want to reassure you that all of our staff, including me, take any error extremely seriously and have already taken steps to best ensure that this never happens again. We clearly recognize the responsibility we have to your children and to you to deliver safe and appropriate care. There is nothing more important to us than keeping the children of our county safe.
In addition to the existing verification protocols that have, up until this week, preventing any incidents of mistaken identity over many years, the health department and the school system have added two new measures. To supplement the identification checks that have been in place before children walk from their classrooms to the vaccination room, each teacher will do a final verification that the names on the vaccination list match both the child and the individual name tags. There are two layers of child verification in the vaccination room. Historically, if there was any discrepancy in the verification process or for any reason the nurses had reason to be concerned, they would call the child’s parent to assure the vaccination was appropriate. If the parent could not be reached for verification, the child was sent back to class unvaccinated, and a note was sent home explaining why the vaccination was not given. Going forward, in addition to speaking to the parent, we will have the parent speak directly to the child with the nurse listening on the speaker to absolutely be certain that the parent and child match. This may be done through video such as FaceTime or additional information will be obtained, such as a nickname that only the child’s parents would know.
On behalf of the nurses at our health department and the school system, we terribly regret the occurrence this week.
In my conversations with nurses, they were visibly upset that such a thing could happen. Although the vaccinated child is doing fine, we realize that any mistake in health settings can have detrimental consequences. It is our obligation to you and your children to do better in the future. We are taking steps to do that. Your trust means everything to us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Larry Polsky, Calvert County Health Officer
