Walgreens Responds After Family Says Children Received COVID-19 Vaccine Instead of Flu Shot

An Indiana family of four went to a local Walgreens to get flu shots but were mistakenly given COVID-19 vaccines instead.

Evansville, Indiana residents Joshua and Alexandra Price say the mix-up happened October 4, at the Walgreens Pharmacy located on St. Joseph Avenue. In an interview broadcast by NBC TV affiliate WFIE, the couple said they left the pharmacy thinking they got flu shots until a Walgreens employee called them at home to inform them they and their two young children had been accidentally given adult doses of Pfizer’s vaccine.

“Walgreens called me to say there was a mix up, we did not receive the flu shot,” said Mrs. Price. “And I’m like well what did we get? And he was like we got the COVID-19 shot, And instantly I was like, well what does this mean for my kids…?”

The parents said they weren’t too worried about themselves, since they had already been vaccinated in April, so they viewed it as a booster shot. They worry about their 4-year-old boy and 5-year-old girl, especially since the Pfizer vaccine isn’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration for children under the age of 12.

After Walgreens notified them, the parents brought their children to the doctor because they were already experiencing symptoms. Their lawyer, Daniel Tuley, said both are now being treated by a pediatric cardiologist.

“The children have experienced a number of adverse effects since receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Fever, body aches, cough, headaches, and nausea are among the symptoms the children are experiencing,” Tuley said in a statement. “The 4- and 5-year-old are also under treatment of a pediatric cardiologist for tachycardia and elevated blood pressure, respectively.”

Tachycardia is the medical term for a heart rate over 100 beats per minute, according to The Mayo Clinic, which added it can disrupt normal heart function and lead to serious complications, including:

• Heart failure
• Stroke
• Sudden cardiac arrest or death

“[The cardiologist] said our daughter was having higher blood pressure than she would like,” said Alexandra, adding her daughter has been sick with a fever and a cough. Their son has now also developed a fever, she said.

“Lukas started feeling sick before we even got home from Walgreens,” Alexandra Price said, referring to her son, CNN reported.

After a follow-up appointment Tuesday, she said her son’s condition had improved but her daughter’s condition is worsening. “Her blood pressure is in the 98th percentile and she continues to have no energy,” Price said about her daughter Sophia.

Walgreens issued statements to several news outlets that described such mix-ups as uncommon.

“Generally speaking, such instances are rare, and Walgreens takes these matters very seriously,” Walgreens said in a statement. “In the event of any error, our first concern is always our patients’ well-being.” The giant pharmacy chain added, “Our multi-step vaccination procedure includes several safety checks to minimize the chance of human error and we have reviewed this process with our pharmacy staff in order to prevent such occurrences.”

Mr. Tuley had left his office, according to a Tuley Law employee, who said he was not expected to return before Monday. No legal action had been filed as of Monday afternoon, according to the local NBC station’s report.