Wrong dosage of COVID-19 vaccine given at Hillsborough event

The Orange County Health Department said a nurse practitioner believed he was giving the accurate dosing to the patients on Thursday, Jan. 6, but later realized he had given the pediatric dose — designed for those ages 5 to 12 — which is one-third of the adult dose usually given to those ages 12 and up.

"While we are very upset that some people were given the incorrect dose on Jan. 6, that was the first time we are aware of this happening," the health department said in a statement.

The vaccine clinic was put on by StarMed Healthcare, which has done about 15 pop-up events for Orange County. The same vendor services the Bonnie B. Davis vaccine clinic as of Jan. 7.

"We hope it was an isolated incident that happened to take place on a day in which new orders for boosters were given by the state," said Orange County Health Department.

The health department will look at each person who was given the wrong dose to determine how to move forward and will follow guidance from the state Department of Health and Human Services.

DHHS guidance says if someone between 12 and 17 years old received a pediatric dose of the vaccine, they will not need to receive a second shot. Anyone over 18 years old that received a pediatric dose, the correct adult dose will need to be repeated immediately.

If someone wants to check their antibody levels, StarMed will arrange that testing when they contact them to let them know they received the wrong dose. Those who received the wrong dose should be contacted by Wednesday, health department officials said.

Those who don't hear anything, but did receive a vaccine from the Jan. 6 event, received the accurate dosing of the vaccine.