MIDVALE, Utah — Salt Lake County health officials confirmed that a 5-year-old child was accidentally given an incorrect dosage of the COVID-19 vaccine this week.
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The mother of the child told FOX 13 that her son went to be vaccinated Thursday at East Midvale Elementary, but was given an adult booster shot instead of a child's dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Children under 12 are given a lower dosage of the vaccine than ones received by adults and older children.
After realizing their mistake, the mother said clinic workers were nonchalant about what had occurred and said her son was "just more protected than other kids his age."
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The Salt Lake County Health Department acknowledged the incident had taken place, but do not believe the child is in any danger.
"While we do not expect any adverse effects to the patient because of this (and will be following up with the patient and their health care provider to be sure), we take any mistake seriously and are investigating the circumstances in this situation," said Nicholas Rupp with the Salt Lake County Health Department.
Rupp added that the department is reviewing safety protocols with vaccinators to ensure the mistake does not happen again.
Vaccine doses for children 5-11 come with an orange cap, while doses for those older than 12-years-old are topped with a purple cap.
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Earlier this month, a Virginia pharmacy administered the wrong vaccine dosage to more than 100 children. Parents were told to talk to their pediatrician about whether to restart the vaccine process for their children at least 21 days after the incorrect doses were given.
