A Virginia pharmacy gave 112 young kids shots of a COVID-19 vaccine formulation designed for older children and adults, officials say

• A pharmacy in Virginia gave COVID-19 vaccine formulations intended for over-12s to 112 kids aged 5 to 11, CNBC reports.
• County officials said the kids may have received a lower dose of vaccine than recommended.

A pharmacy in Virginia gave the wrong COVID-19 vaccine formulation to 112 children aged between five and 11, county health officials have said, according to multiple reports.

Ted Pharmacy in Loudoun county, northern Virginia, vaccinated the children using vials intended for people aged 12 and up, rather than a formulation specifically designed for kids aged between 5 and 11, the county said in a letter addressed to parents Wednesday.

The vials for kids have the same active ingredient as those for the over-12s, but contain about a third of the concentration of that ingredient - 10 micrograms instead of 30 micrograms.

The pharmacy didn't have the formulation for under-12s, so instead gave the kids a third of a vial of the adult formulation, Dr. David Goodfriend, director at Loudoun County Health Department, told The Washington Post.

He said in the letter that the error may mean kids got a "potentially lower than recommended" vaccine dose.

"The concern is when you cut the amount given by a third, we just don't know if they got an appropriate dosage or not," Goodfriend told radio station WTOP News.

In total, 112 children received the adult vaccine formulation, CNBC and The Post reported, citing the state Department of Health.

Ted Pharmacy is no longer a part of state or federal vaccination programmes, and has returned unused COVID-19 vaccines to the local health department, Goodfriend said in Wednesday's letter. An investigation into the error was ongoing, he said.

Ted Pharmacy did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment

Goodfriend said he was not aware of any child getting too much vaccine or any adverse events, per CNBC.

The pharmacy gave the shots on November 3 and November 4, according to Loudon County. That was just after Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine got the green light from the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use in 5 to 11 year-olds, on November 2.

Concerned parents should speak with doctor

Goodfriend said that parents who were concerned that their child did not get a full dose should speak with a doctor.

Either the child can get a second dose as usual, or they can restart their vaccine schedule at least 21 days after the incorrect dose, according to advice from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cited in the letter. Parents should monitor for side effects, the CDC adds.

Goodfriend told WTOP News that parents should consider the risks and benefits of either approach recommended by the CDC.

"It really is that decision between that parent and that doctor to say, 'Well, what is the risk? If I only give them two doses including that [potentially incorrect] one, and they don't have that same level of protection? Versus what's the risk of a third shot to somebody who did well with the first two doses?" he said.

So far 47,109 kids in Virginia aged 5 to 11 have received a COVID-19 shots, according to state data.