Members of Saugeen First Nation in Ontario were given expired COVID-19 vaccines for a month
CBC
Members of the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation in Ontario were given expired COVID-19 doses for a month before they were told of the error earlier this week.
The Pfizer-BioNTech doses expired on Aug. 9, but were administered to community members between Aug. 13 and Sept. 9, according to a letter from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) that was sent to the First Nation.
The federal department is responsible for administering the doses at the Ojibway First Nation near Georgian Bay.
"While receiving a vaccine that is beyond its best-before date does not pose health risks to the individual, the recommendation is for the individual to be re-vaccinated," ISC wrote in the letter to the community.
"The department sincerely apologizes for the vaccine error and the concern that it may cause for the members of Saugeen First Nation."
It's not clear how many people are affected by the error.
Vaccines can lose their strength if given after their best-before date, officials have said, and may make them less effective in protecting people from the COVID-19 virus.