Vancouver teen was one of 12 people who mistakenly received the Moderna vaccine instead of the Pfizer vaccine

A Vancouver teenager says she was accidentally given the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine instead of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is the only one in Canada approved for children under 18.

Noora Alenezi, 13, was so excited to get her COVID-19 vaccine that she made an appointment as soon as health officials approved the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 to 17.

But when she showed up at the Vancouver Convention Center with her mother and brother for her appointment, the nurse who was about to give her her vaccine told her she was getting the Moderna vaccine.

“I thought she knew better than us,” Noora Alenezi said. “I thought it had been approved or something before we arrived.”

“It’s not a small mistake”

Noora and her mother, Faiezah Alenzi, say it was only when the nurse was about to administer the same vaccine to her 14-year-old brother that she seemed to suddenly remember that children should only receive the Pfizer vaccine.

They say the nurse and staff then rushed over and apologized, admitting the nurse had administered the wrong vaccine.

Faiezah says she realizes mistakes can happen and she appreciates all the work Vancouver Coastal Health is doing, but she thinks those administering the vaccine should be more careful.

“I was really worried, really upset,” she said. “It's not a small mistake.”

11 similar errors

In a written statement, Vancouver Coastal Health said Noora was not the only teen to receive the wrong vaccine last week. In total, 12 children received Moderna instead of Pfizer-BioNTech.

Health officials said last week was the first time teens attended vaccination clinics, and Moderna was the main vaccine offered at that time.

VCH said that while Moderna has not yet been approved for use in youth aged 12 to 17 in Canada, medical officers of health do not believe it is harmful to youth in that demographic.

However, health officials say they have implemented additional practices to ensure this error does not happen again. This includes new questions as part of the registration selection process and Pfizer stations specifically aimed at youth where possible.

“Our health is in their hands”

Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Disease Centre, says there is no biological reason why the Moderna vaccine would be dangerous for adolescents.

“I wouldn’t be very concerned about that mistake,” Conway said. “I think this will become the standard of care in the future.”

Conway says that while the Moderna study on the vaccine's effectiveness in children has not yet been completed, preliminary results suggest it is safe and effective.

For Noora and her mother, this assurance is somewhat comforting, but they would still like to see better processes in place to protect teenagers like her.

“Our health is in their hands, and they should be more conscious of who they give the vaccine to,” Noora said.