Immunocompromised 9-Year-Old Florida Boy Mistakenly Gets Adult Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine

KEY POINTS

Jack Garton received the wrong dose while getting his second Pfizer shot Tuesday
He received a dose three times more powerful than what was prescribed for children
He was taken to an emergency room as a precautionary measure

An immunocompromised 9-year-old boy from Florida has accidentally received an adult dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The 9-year-old boy, Jack Garton from Boynton Beach, who has Type 1 diabetes, was administered the wrong dose while receiving the second Pfizer shot at a CVS pharmacy Tuesday. Jack's family realized the mistake when they received a call from the pharmacy two hours later informing them about it, WPBF reported.

"It was very frustrating," Jack's father, Matthew Garton, told the outlet. Matthew said the pharmacy informed him that instead of administering the children's dose, Jack was given a full adult dose that is three times stronger than what he was supposed to be getting.

"It was more of the unknown of not knowing if this was going to amplify symptoms or, with his immune system being compromised, that it might affect something else," Matthew added.

Jack was taken to the emergency room as a precaution following his second shot. He had a debilitating headache and about a 103-degree fever, which eventually got better with fever medication.

Meanwhile, CVS confirmed the child was given an adult dose by mistake. "On Tuesday, December 14, at our pharmacy on N. Federal Highway in Boynton Beach, a pediatric patient inadvertently received an adult dose of the Pfizer vaccine," the company said in a statement to WPBF.

"We are reporting this incident to HHS's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and are taking steps to help prevent this from occurring again," the statement added.

The pharmacy giant said it has informed the child's parents about it and has asked them to monitor the boy's symptoms as a precautionary measure.

When Matthew was asked if he would still recommend the COVID-19 vaccine to other children after the ordeal, he said: "I would tell them don't hesitate to get your kids vaccinated," CBS 12 reported. Adding a word of caution, the father noted: "I still think it's a great idea but just when you take them, double-check with the person giving them their vaccine, ask them multiple times to make sure that they're getting the children's dose."

Pfizer recommends a two-shot regimen of 10 micrograms each for children aged 5 to 11, while the adult dose is 30 micrograms.