Steps have been taken to ensure that there is no further mix-up in the administering of COVID-19 vaccines says Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.
This comes days after a 34-year-old woman reported that she was given the AstraZeneca vaccine as her first dose and Sinopharm as a second dose.
There are only two vaccine combinations approved by the World Health Organization at this time. They are AstraZeneca as a first dose and either Pfizer or Moderna as a second dose.
But speaking at the roll-out of a vaccination drive in Marabella yesterday, Deyalsingh said an investigation has been done and steps were taken to ensure the issue is never repeated.
“I spoke with her personally on Thursday. I understood the facts of the case. I also asked the director of health at the North West Regional Health Authority Dr Anderson Parkinson to treat her medically, clinically and psychologically,” Deyalsingh said.
He added, “ She is set to have the second dose of her correct vaccine next week. She is well and has had no adverse events. Although psychologically she is concerned as anybody would be. Between myself and Dr Parkinson, we met and talked with her.”
He noted that the incident was an isolated case.
“We have to make sure this does not happen again. We have ordered a total revamp on how we question people because the main responsibility lies with us, to make sure people get the correct vaccine,” he said.
Deyalsingh added, “ There has been a post -mortem of that issue and the staff administering vaccines have been retrained, readvised so that this does not happen again.”
The mix-up occurred at the Chaguaramas heliport, which was being used as a mass vaccination site last Wednesday.