Coronavirus Update New York City: Nearly 900 New Yorkers given expired COVID shots
Coronavirus update for NYC
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Hundreds of New Yorkers learned Monday they got expired doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.
New York City's Health Department confirmed 899 people received expired doses at a pop-up vaccination site in Times Square that used to house the NFL Experience.
Officials say they are "notifying" everyone involved that they need to receive another dose as soon as possible.
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A spokesperson for ATC Vaccination Services released a statement late Monday:
"ATC Vaccination Services is part of a large group of vaccine distributors in partnership with the NYC Department of Health to distribute the vaccine. We apologize for the inconvenience to those receiving the vaccine batch in question and want people first and foremost to know that we have been advised that there is no danger from the vaccine they received. After consulting Pfizer, NYC Department of Health sent out an email on our behalf alerting everyone to return for another vaccine. They further instructed us to follow up via phone and mail to alert the recipients that the only way to be certain that they are fully vaccinated is to come in for another shot because the shot in question was in the freezer 'too long' to be assured of its full effectiveness. We encourage those affected to get a new dose anywhere that provides the Pfizer vaccine."
Health officials say there is no safety risk for patients to getting the expired doses and that the city has replaced the vendor giving out the shots.
The news comes as the state reached a vaccination milestone Monday evening.
According to the CDC's COVID tracker, 70% of New York's adult population have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo had said that most remaining restrictions would likely be lifted once New York hit that benchmark.
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