Officials recommend testing for hepatitis B and C and HIV.
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A New Jersey pharmaceutical company has alerted almost 70 of its employees of a health risk after a nurse it contracted to administer flu shots failed to change syringes in between patients. In a letter to an Otsuka employee obtained by NBC10, an NJ Department of Health official states the nurse who administered the flu shots reused the syringe.
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The patients now face a long anxious wait as it can be months before serious infections such as HIV show up in blood work.
The nurse also didn’t give the employees a full dosage of the flu shot, meaning they will have to get a second flu shot.
Otsuka Pharmaceutical said in statement it was alarmed at the breach and says employee health is its top concern. Syringes that hold the vaccine, not needles, were reused.
‘At this time NJDOH is not aware of any disease transmission, but you may be at risk for developing an infection as a result of this improper practice.’ .
A spokesperson for healthcare provider TotalWellness which contracted the nurse said the person had “failed to follow proper medical procedures and safeguards”.
Now, health department officials are taking matters into their own hands and providing two vaccinations.
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The Board of Nursing is investigating. No disciplinary action has been taken, however the incident remains under investigation.
