One of our staff gave a dose of pediatric HepA vaccine to an adult patient by mistake. How do we remedy this error?

In general, if the error is discovered on the same clinic day, you can administer the other “half” of the dose on that same day. If the error is discovered later, the dose should not be counted, and then the person should be recalled to the office and given a full age-appropriate repeat dose.

If you give more than an age-appropriate dose (for example, an adult dose of HepA vaccine given to a child), count the dose as valid and notify the patient/parent about the error. There may be an increased risk of a local adverse reaction when more than the recommended dose is given. If the error occurred with the first dose of the series the child should still receive the second dose on schedule. Giving a “double” dose for the first dose does not negate the need for a second dose.

Avoid such errors by checking the vaccine vial label 3 times.