New Jersey nurse caught reusing flu shot syringes

How did a nurse administering the flu shot at a local pharmaceutical office, Otsuka Pharmaceutical administer the same syringe for up to 70 patients?

“The vaccinations are for hepatitis B and vaccinations for flu shots”, said Jill Swanson, with the West Windsor Health Department. You want to make sure they’re using a new needle, new syringe and an alcohol swab.

The flu shots, given to 67 employees on September 30, were coordinated by TotalWellness, which acknowledged that the nurse they contracted “failed to follow proper medical procedures and safeguards”, according to NBC10.

The Department of Health said the name of the nurse has been referred to the state Board of Nursing, which will decide to take disciplinary actions against the nurse.

Luckily, experts believe that the risk of infection any of the workers contracted any of the disease is low.

A health clinic at the company gave flu shots to 67 employees. TotalWellness, in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), offered free blood tests to all employees who were victims of this gross protocol violation.

The patients now face a long anxious wait as it can be months before serious infections such as HIV show up in blood work. They are all employees at Oksuka, a Japanese pharmaceutical corporation at their location in New Jersey. The HIV and hepatitis exposure was for absolutely nothing, because the dose of the flu vaccine that was given was not even the recommended dose.

A spokesperson for TotalWellness said the company was “dedicated to ensuring all participants receive any and all appropriate screenings, care and counseling until this matter is resolved”. One way to make sure it doesn’t happen to you is to watch as the nurse prepares your flu shot.