Tetanus vaccine in Stony Plain may have been ineffective: AHS

More than 100 patients who received a tetanus vaccine recently at the WestView Health Centre in Stony Plain are being encouraged to go back for another shot because the first one may have been ineffective, Alberta Health Services said Wednesday.

A routine audit conducted Dec. 29 found the temperature of the vaccine fridge in the hospital emergency’s department was not being recorded properly.

If the fridge was either too hot or too cold, it may have compromised the quality of the vaccine.

The 131 patients in question were receiving care for wounds that potentially exposed them to tetanus. To update their immunizations, they were given the “DTaP vaccine” that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

“Although the risk of tetanus infection is very low, AHS is notifying the patients related to this monitoring error and recommends that those individuals get re-immunized,” the health authority said in a news release.

“AHS regrets that this issue has resulted in an impact to our patients and we have ensured that proper monitoring is now in place.”

The health authority said it will be contacting each of the patients affected.

There is no risk in getting another vaccination, and no risk to the general public, AHS said.