He Accidentally Got 2 Different Vaccines

After mix-up, health officials in New Hampshire say it's perfectly safe
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 17, 2021 12:20 PM CDT
Updated Apr 17, 2021 12:50 PM CDT
Moderna or Pfizer? This Guy Got Both
A nurse draws the Moderna vaccine.   (Friso Gentsch/dpa via AP)

For those who have rolled up their sleeves for a COVID vaccine, it's a common question: Did you get Pfizer or Moderna? For a New Hampshire man, the accidental answer is both. WMUR reports that Craig Richards received a Moderna shot in March, then returned to the same site in West Lebanon earlier this week for shot No. 2. That's when the health worker administering the vaccine goofed. "As soon as he poked me, he looked down at my card, and I think he realized he just gave me the Pfizer," says Richards. The good news is that health officials stress that Richards will be fine despite the mix-up.

"A mixed series is safe, as (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidance recommends mixing the series if the brand from the first dose is not available at the second dose," the state health department said in a statement. "While there have not been any clinical studies on whether a mixed series is as effective as a complete series, it will still provide enough protection that a third dose is not necessary or recommended." A post at Complex notes that Twitter users are calling this "the Arnold Palmer," a reference to the golfer's penchant for mixing lemonade and iced tea. (More coronavirus vaccine stories.)

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