Winter weather is here for much of the U.S. and everywhere you turn, you see a sign, ad or commercial reminding you to get your flu shot. There are ten people in Oklahoma who obliged, and they were subsequently left hospitalized.
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Eight patients and two employees at Jacquelyn House, a care facility in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, were hospitalized after mistakenly being injected with insulin, instead of a flu shot. Fire and EMS crews responded to the facility, which serves intellectually and developmentally disabled people, when “multiple unresponsive people” were found.
In a press conference, Police Chief Tracey Roles explained the scene the rescue crews encountered: “All these people are symptomatic, lying on the ground, needing help, but can’t communicate what they need. That’s why I give a lot of praise to the fire and EMS staff for doing an outstanding job of identifying the problem.”
The pharmacist responsible for the accidental insulin injections was a contractor hired by the facility. Several affected patients remained in the hospital overnight due to the incident.
“I’ve never seen where there’s been some sort of medical misadventure to this magnitude,” Roles said. “But again, it could have been a lot worse. Not to downplay where we are, but thinking about where we could be, it could certainly have been very, very tragic.”
Director of communications for the Oklahoma State Health Department, Tony D. Sellers, said his agency would review the incident to determine whether follow up action was needed. “There is no reason to suggest at this point that the facility should have had a reasonable suspicion that this sort of error would occur or be preventable on their part,” he said.
If you’re considering whether or not you should get a flu shot this year, be sure to do your research to help you make an informed decision.