Widnes tot developed fever after swine flu jab blunder (From This Is Cheshire)

Widnes tot developed fever after swine flu jab blunder

A WIDNES mum only discovered her two-year-old son had been given double the the correct dose of the swine flu jab after he developed a fever.

Vicky O’Keefe and her two-year-old son, Alex Picture: Ian Park IPS5210

Vicky O’Keefe, aged, 23, of Bishops Way, Widnes was alarmed when her GP told her her son, Alex, was among 59 tots given the adult vaccination by mistake at the Health Resource Centre in Caldwell Road.

Vicky said: “He started getting the side effects, including diarrhoea not long afterwards.

“When he woke up he had the shakes, he was shivering and his teeth were chattering even though he was fully clothed.

“I brought him to the doctor and he told me he had received an email the night before saying that children had been given the adult dose.”

Vicki phoned her friend whose 11-month-old son had also received the jab at the same time. She had not been informed of the error.

They have both now received written apologies.

Vicki added: “They keep saying they don’t think there will be any long term effects but they can’t say for definite because they don’t know.

“If it had been something like a whooping cough needle, he could probably have died of the side effects of the wrong dose. Why didn’t they realise until after they had given it to 59 children?”

A spokesman for Halton and St Helens NHS, said: “We have launched a full and thorough investigation into all the issues in this case and have committed to sharing our findings with those affected.

“We are extremely sorry for the anxiety and concern this has caused and have been advised by clinical experts that no significant or long term effects will be caused.

“We have asked that the investigation be completed as soon as possible.”