LEMPSTER, N.H. (WHDH) - A New Hampshire man was thrilled to get his second COVID-19 vaccine earlier this week, but his happiness faded seconds after he received the shot.
Craig Richards, of Lempster, says the firefighter who gave him the shot at a site in West Lebanon suddenly took off after administering the dose.
“His eyes lit up and he bolted,” Richards said. “I looked at him and I said, ‘you didn’t just give me the wrong vaccine?’ He didn’t say a word, he just left.”
When Richards looked at his vaccination card, his initial dose indicated Moderna and his second dose read Pfizer.
“I wanted to punch the guy,” Richards said jokingly. “I was pretty upset, I was in more shock.”
Current CDC guidelines state the COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable but Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, doesn’t think there is much of a difference between the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine.
“Conceptually, it just makes sense that it shouldn’t be much different to get a Moderna followed by a Pfizer,” Fauci said.
New Hampshire health officials say the state works to make sure everyone gets matching doses but that “a mixed series is safe.”
Richards says he hopes his experience serves as a lesson for everyone else.
“Be aware of what you got and when you go for the second one, absolutely confirm it,” Richards said.
Fauci noted that studies on mixing vaccines are already underway.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)