BURI RAM: An elderly woman accidentally received two jabs of the AstraZeneca vaccine when she went to a vaccination centre in Muang district on Saturday for a second Covid-19 shot.
A man posted on Facebook a picture of the woman with a message: "The only one in Buri Ram. Grandma Somwang Jukul received two shots of AZ at the same time on Aug 14. This morning a health official called and asked about her conditions out of concern. She is doing well. Thanks all for showing care for her."
In an interview with a reporter at her home in tambon Sadao, Nang Rong district, Mrs Somwang, 70, told Thai media she went to the vaccination centre in Muang district with her husband, their son -- a lawyer -- and a relative. They all had appointments to receive a second vaccine shot, this time AstraZeneca, after getting an initial shot of Sinovac on July 24.
After going through a process of document, temperature and blood pressure checks, they were called to proceed to a vaccination zone in the crowded facility. She, her husband, son and relative then went separately to tables with nurses administering Covid shots.
Double shot
Mrs Somwang said she received a shot in the right arm. She waited at the table for a while, as instructed by the nurse, before leaving with her document. While walking out, she was called by another nurse at another table, who told her to sit down. Without asking any questions, the nurse gave her another shot, this time in the left arm. She did not protest because she was unaware it could be a mistake.
After leaving the zone, she met her son and told him she had received two shots. Her son appeared shocked and asked if she was feeling all right.
The woman said she had not developed any serious symptoms, just a little fever, exhaustion and drowsiness after getting the shots. However, she admitted she was worried.
Boonsong Jukul, Mrs Somwang's lawyer son, said on that day he had to push his father's wheelchair to the vaccination table while his mother went ahead by herself as she was still strong.
Mr Boonsong said he was shocked, but did not go back to inform the medical staff at the centre as his mother did not show any unusual symptoms.
However, he later informed the provincial public health office by phone, and officials then called back frequently to check on his mother's condition.
Mr Boonsong said he had not considered filing a complaint. While he was worried, he would wait to see if there was anything wrong with her.
Official explanation
Dr Jeerasak Thipsunthornchai, deputy health chief of Buri Ram, said later that the elderly woman did not walk to the monitoring zone after being inoculated at Chang Arena stadium in Muang district.
She had not known she was only to receive a single shot that day, he said. When she was walking around in the vaccination zone, a health worker spoke with her, and a misunderstanding led to the second jab in one day, Dr Jeerasak said.
He promised that the inoculation procedures would be improved to prevent such an incident from recurring.
The elderly woman had not developed any undesirable symptoms, Dr Jeerasak said, but he had ordered doctors in Nang Rong district to monitor her condition and be ready to help her if necessary.
At the time the elderly woman was there, health workers were overwhelmed with more than 6,000 vaccine recipients, he said.