'It's unacceptable': Anger after Sutter Health gives wrong amount of COVID vaccine to children

It happened at the Sutter Urgent Care facility in Antioch.

J.R. Stone Image
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Several Bay Area kids sick, received wrong dose of COVID vaccine
In the East Bay, parents are angry after several children got sick after reportedly being given wrong dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

ANTIOCH, Calif. (KGO) -- There is outrage among some parents in the East Bay Monday night as 14 kids were given the wrong amount of COVID-19 vaccine in Antioch this past Saturday.

At least two kids were given double the recommended dose at a Sutter Health pediatric vaccine clinic.

"I'm here tonight to report my story because it's unacceptable, you expect your medical professionals to give you correct doses!" says parent Denise Iserloth.

RELATED: Walgreens mistakenly injects 2 kids with adult COVID vaccine instead of flu shot, parents allege

Denise and her husband Shawn's 8 and 11 year old children were among the kids given the wrong amount of coronavirus vaccine at Sutter Health's Antioch pediatric vaccine clinic.

"They absolutely failed my children and the other 12 children involved," says Iserloth.

Sutter Health issued a statement that 14 patients were given an incorrect amount of diluent, saying in part, "As soon as we learned of this, we contacted the parents and advised them of CDC guidance in this situation."

Denise says she was told, but that came nearly 10 hours later and after her older child fell down twice.

Q&A: What to know about COVID-19 vaccines for kids aged 5-11

Children ages 5-11 can now get Pfizer's pediatric COVID vaccine, one-third the dose of the adult vaccine, delivered in two shots, three weeks apart.

"We would have assumed that there was more in place to prevent this from happening, but obviously at this place there wasn't," says Shawn Iserloth.

"I understand the mandate, I tried to comply with it, and my children now have been given a double dose and I don't know the long term side effects," says Denise.

The Iserloth's, whose children were both home sick Monday with bad stomach aches, say their 8 and 11-year-olds were given 20 micrograms of dosage instead of the recommended 10. They're now very concerned about any long term effects, but Dr. Peter Chin-Hong of UCSF says the kids should be okay.

RELATED: CA health officials encourage all adults to get booster shots as winter surge fears grow

"Headache, muscle aches, fever in some cases, chills, but they should go away in a day or two, but I would say hold tight, don't worry too much and that's all expected," says Dr. Chin-Hong.

Chin-Hong says during clinical trials, kids were given 10, 20, and the adult dose of 30 micrograms. He says negative effects in those higher doses were not seen.

As to going forward, Sutter Health says, "we immediately reviewed our processes to help make sure this doesn't happen again."

Still though, Denise and her husband want details from Sutter Health as to how something like this could have happened.

"There has been nothing clarified as to how this happened to our children and the other 12 children involved and it is unacceptable and negligent, completely negligent on their part," says Denise Iserloth.

Dr. Jimmy Hu is Chair of the Sutter Health COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force and a pediatrician. He issued this statement:

"This weekend 14 patients at our Antioch pediatric vaccine clinic received vaccines with an incorrect amount of diluent. As soon as we learned of this, we contacted the parents and advised them of CDC guidance in this situation. The safety of our patients is our top priority, and we immediately reviewed our processes to help make sure this doesn't happen again. According to the CDC, patients who receive vaccine with an incorrect diluent volume may experience more arm soreness, fatigue, headache, or a fever in response to the dose given."