Staff at a pharmaceutical company were tested for HIV and hepatitis after a nurse reused a syringe to administer flu shots.
In total, 67 employees of Otsuka Pharmaceutical in Princeton, New
Jersey, were warned they may have been exposed to “infected blood”.
Healthcare provider TotalWellness confirmed that the nurse contracted
to carry out the flu shots had “failed to follow proper medical
procedures and safeguards”.
The flu shots were given to employees on Sept. 30, and they now face an
anxious wait to see if there is any further impact from the mistake.
In a letter to an Otsuka employee, an official from the New Jersey
Department of Health states the nurse who administered the flu shots
reused the syringe.
“The needles were changed between each patient but the syringe was reused multiple times,” the official wrote, according to NBC 10.
“Syringe reuse may have exposed you to infected blood.
“At this time NJDOH is not aware of any disease transmission, but you
may be at risk for developing an infection as a result of this improper
practice.”
Officials say that the risk for infection is “low", but they are
recommending that the employees undergo testing for hepatitis B,
hepatitis C and HIV.
The Health Department, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
TotalWellness offered free blood tests to all of the employees.
A spokesperson for TotalWellness said the company was “dedicated to
ensuring all participants receive any and all appropriate screenings,
care and counseling until this matter is resolved”.
Officials also say the employees will need to be re-tested in four to
six months since viruses can take time to show up in blood tests.
In addition to reusing the syringes, officials also say the nurse gave a
dose of the flu vaccine that was less than recommended.
“Receiving less than the recommended amount is not harmful, but you
might not be fully protected against the flu,” the officials wrote.
“We are recommending that you get another flu shot this season to ensure that you are completely protected."
A spokesperson for the Board of Nursing said no disciplinary action has
been taken yet but the incident is still under investigation.
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