About a thousand vaccinated in one of the health funds and in the army received a shot using a needle about half an inch long, instead of a double-length needle • The fear was ruled out: the vaccine did not produce antibodies • The decision: following a good antibody test for most vaccinated people,
About a thousand vaccinators received a corona vaccine with a short needle rather than a long needle.
Health system experts decided after consultation that those vaccinated with the wrong needle could continue to be vaccinated as usual and would not have to receive a third dose of vaccine.
Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
The incident occurred at one of the HMOs and the army.
The vaccinated received an injection with a needle about half an inch long instead of a needle about one inch or a quarter inch long.
The corona vaccine is intended to be injected into a muscle, and there has been concern that these vaccines have been vaccinated subcutaneously, outside the muscle, due to the short needle.
Dr. Emilia Ennis, Director of the Department of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health: “In other vaccines when there is such an event the dose is‘ not counted ’and repeated.
In this case, it was decided to perform an antibody test on the 21st. "
At a meeting of the corona vaccine team at the Ministry of Health, the experts were informed that 603 of these vaccinated had antibodies tested around the 21st day of the first dose, which showed a high antibody level. There were positive serological tests, and the rate of positive serology by age groups decreased in the various age groups, from 98% among soldiers to 70% aged 80 and over.
Dr. Tal Brosh, secretary of the team for the treatment of epidemics and director of the unit for the prevention of infections at Assuta Hospital in Ashdod: "In subcutaneous vaccines, the immunogenicity is not harmed, but sometimes even increases."
The experts noted that an up-to-date recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control is that no additional dose of intravenous corona vaccine is needed.