TurnTo23.com

 
Staying Healthy
Related To Story

Dozens Get Wrong H1N1 Vaccine

Season Flu Vaccine Says H1N1 On Label

POSTED: 6:57 am PST November 24, 2009
UPDATED: 7:14 am PST November 24, 2009

Several people near Boston who thought they were getting an H1N1 vaccine got a shot for another strain of flu, WCVB-TV reported.

The station said 15 Needham firefighters and several Needham residents were caught in the medical mix-up.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now warning health departments about the possible vaccination label confusion.

The label of the seasonal flu vaccination had H1N1 on the label as one of the strains targeted -- but not the current pandemic H1N1 strain.

Paul Buckley, the Needham Fire Department chief, was among those who went Monday to get the actual H1N1 vaccine.

Buckley had been notified by the department that the vaccination he originally got, along with a number of his colleagues, was the seasonal flu vaccination by mistake.

In all, 47 people were affected. The mistake left people confused and concerned.

"Hopefully, we haven't had any issues in the past week where some of the people came in contact with the H1N1 virus or possibly got sick from it believing they were vaccinated when they actually weren't," Buckley said.

The town's health department has been calling everyone to tell them about the mistake. Officials said it was harmless and amounted to getting a booster for the seasonal flu.

Dr. Janice Berns said it is the first mistake like this that she has seen in her 40-year career in public health.

"I think the label doesn't appear to be clear," she said.

Health departments are now being alerted to the possibility of making this mistake.
The following are comments from our users. Opinions expressed are neither created nor endorsed by TurnTo23.com. By posting a comment you agree to accept our Terms of Use. Comments are moderated by the community. To report an offensive or otherwise inappropriate comment, click the "Flag" link that appears beneath that comment. Comments that are flagged by a set number of users will be automatically removed.

Links We Like

Eating & Living Gluten Free

One woman embracing her "princess" disease and helping others who suffer with Celiac and are living gluten free. http://gfree-gal.blogspot.com/
Check out www.redapplelipstick.com More


Sponsored Links

E-Mail Newsletters

Get E-Mail News Headlines When YOU Want Them
 Breaking News
National Breaking News
12 p.m.
Daily Weather Forecast

Local Business Directory