21 children were erroneously administered the Moderna vaccine rather than the Pfizer one in Kampenhout, Flanders, the local vaccination centre reported on Saturday.
The error took place on Wednesday afternoon and saw children between the ages of 7 and 12 receive a dose of the Moderna vaccine that has yet to be approved for this age group by the European Medicines Agency, Belga News Agency reported.
However, the Flemish health agency has assured that the children are not at risk and that the vaccine they received offers the same protection as the Pfizer vaccine: "As far as we know, this is the first time this has happened," the agency spokesperson said. "Controls are in place to prevent such a mix up from happening but a human error is always possible."
The parents of the affected children have been notified and advised to be vigilant in case any eventual side effects do arise, unlikely though these are.
