Prison Inmates Received Overdoses of COVID-19 Vaccine

Dozens of inmates at an Iowa prison are recovering after being given six times the recommended dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

At least 77 inmates incarcerated at the Iowa State Penitentiary were administered the incorrect dose by nurses at the facility. After the incident, two nurses were placed on administrative leave, and the Iowa Department of Corrections has temporarily paused administering the vaccines. An investigation into what happened is ongoing.

According to reports, none of the prisoners required hospitalization. A spokesman for the prison, Cord Overton, said some of the inmates were experiencing typical side effects from the vaccine, such as body aches and fever.

Public health experts are concerned that the error will impact an already reluctant population when receiving the vaccine. They predict that outbreaks of the virus will continue in correctional facilities after “much of the rest of society has been vaccinated.”