23 inmates given unauthorized COVID drug instead of vaccine, Washington officials say
Nearly two dozen inmates received a COVID-19 drug when they were supposed to get a vaccine at a Washington prison, officials said.
The 23 inmates at the Clallam Bay Corrections Center were administered REGEN-COV during a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Feb. 10, the Washington State Department of Corrections said in a Feb. 11 news release.
One staff member also received the medication, the news release says.
The drug was given emergency authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in November 2020 to treat mild and moderate cases of COVID-19 in adults and children over the age of 12 who are at high risk of having a severe case, such as hospitalization or death.
But that authorization was revised as of Jan. 24, the FDA said. The use of REGEN-COV is not authorized in “any U.S. states, territories, and jurisdictions at this time” because the treatment is unlikely to fight against omicron — the active variant in the country.
The inmates and the staff member have been assessed for “adverse reactions” from the medication, and none have been reported yet, the news release says.
Medical staff will continue to monitor them.
McClatchy News did not receive an immediate response from the Washington State Department of Corrections to a request for more information.
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 10:49 AM with the headline "23 inmates given unauthorized COVID drug instead of vaccine, Washington officials say."
