Oops. Walgreens accidentally injects saline shots instead of the COVID-19 vaccine

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A local Walgreens has a mix-up between Covid-19 vaccines and saline shots.

C. Cai, News Section Co-Editor

At a Walgreens in Monroe, North Carolina, several people were accidentally injected with a dose of saline instead of the COVID-19 vaccine.

After discovering this error, the company claimed that it contacted all of the patients who were affected. Though the number of people impacted was not specified, Walgreens stated that all patients were given the real COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they could come back to the pharmacy.

Fortunately, it seems that no one was harmed by this accident. Saline is a prescription medicine that helps replenish fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. It is injected directly into the vein and usually causes no adverse effects in patients. However, rare side effects include fever and shortness of breath

Walgreens, which had delivered over 8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of March, is still investigating the mix-up incident. Their goal is to figure out the causes behind it so that similar issues could be prevented in the future.

More and more people have been rushing to get vaccinated ever since April 7, when all people aged 16 and older were eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer is the only one available for teens under 18 years of age, and it consists of two doses spaced three weeks apart.

If you haven’t received the vaccine yet, you can use this website to find a nearby location where you can get it. For more information, check out the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Website.