A Chula Vista resident contacted Telemundo 20 to tell them about the situation her 13-year-old daughter went through when she was vaccinated at a clinic in the South Bay.
It turns out that when she took her daughter to the clinic to receive her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine she was given the Moderna vaccine instead and immediately had adverse reactions.
Rebekah Zavala said she went to the San Ysidro Health clinic on Sept. 23 to vaccinate her 13-year-old daughter.
"The nurse asked me if I was going to get the Moderna vaccine and I said no that my daughter was 13 years old and we're here to get the Pfizer vaccine.”
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
So far, the only FDA-authorized emergency-licensed COVID-19 vaccine for children 12 and older is Pfizer-BioNTech.
“My daughter at the moment began to feel bad, she said that she was going to faint and that she could not feel her arm,” Zavala said. She added that her daughter also had high pressure and tachycardia.
Reactions that according to the CDC, can occur with vaccines licensed in the United States.
Local
Zavala said she asked the nurses what was happening
"A man came out who told me that he was in charge of the nurses in that area and said to me: lady do you have a car? Because your daughter is feeling bad, you need to take her to Rady Children's Hospital. The nurse made a mistake and gave your daughter the Moderna vaccine instead of Pfizer."
Medical malpractice, for Zavala.
"I told them they had to call an ambulance and we took her to Rady Children's Hospital."
After a check-up, Zavala's daughter was medically discharged.
"I later got a call from the clinic and they told me, 'Madam, what do you want?'"
Telemundo 20 contacted San Ysidro Health Center for information about this event. Alejandra C. Perez, manager of external affairs sent the following statement:
"Hi Gilberto, please note that the safety of our patients is our top priority. Due to HIPPA and patient confidentiality, we cannot discuss information related to specific patients.
Please note that we follow guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)."
The mother now questions having vaccinated her daughter.
"I did it for her school, because they are requiring it and because at her school they would call us every day saying someone has tested positive."
Now, she worries if the vaccines can be combined since his daughter would have to receive the Pfizer vaccine.
The CDC reports in its section on errors in the administration of vaccines in unauthorized age groups, that if you are between 12 and 17 years old and were inadvertently administered a vaccine other than Pfizer-BioNTech, you may receive the second dose, but as use not indicated on the label, because the Moderna vaccine is not authorized for that age range. That is, the responsibility is in your hands.
"A second vaccine that is not authorized, as a mother, I think I can't get it," Zavala concluded.
Now, the mother waits for the ambulance bill after this mistake.
This story was originally reported by NBC 7's sister station, Telemundo 20. To read the article, click here.
