By Kang Seung-woo
A man received a COVID-19 vaccine injection instead of a shingles shot due to a nurse's mistake at a general hospital in Sejong City, local government officials there said, Monday.
According to the special self-governing city, the 54-year-old man visited the hospital on May 4 to get a shingles vaccine. But after the injection, the nurse said a single dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine was administered instead.
After receiving the shot, the man experienced muscle pain, one of the side effects found among people who receive coronavirus vaccine injections.
Recognizing the administrative error, the hospital told the man to be hospitalized for close monitoring. Luckily, he did not have any other symptoms.
The local government found that the hospital failed to confirm the prescription and check it with the patient before administering the vaccine.
Despite the blunder, the hospital will not be subject to any punishment as the man did not suffer any further ill effects from the medical malpractice, according to the local government.
"There are no legal grounds on which to take action against the hospital for now," a local government official said.
But the local government ordered the hospital to suspend COVID-19 vaccinations for the time being. It is also reviewing whether to remove the hospital from the list of medical institutions giving coronavirus shots on behalf of the government.