A relatively small batch of Covid-19 vaccinations given at Jones Beach on Feb. 15 were ineffective, according to New York State Department of Health.
Out of nearly 1,400 people inoculated at the state vaccination site in Wantagh that day, 81 received an ineffective vaccine. All 81 people have been notified and will get new appointments to be revaccinated, health officials said.
“It was less than a quarter of one percent,” Dr. Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, said on a call with reporters Monday afternoon. “We know exactly who it was, we have contacted them, and they will get revaccinated.”
In fact, six percent of those vaccinated at Jones Beach on Feb. 15 did not receive an effective vaccine.
The ineffective vaccines did not meet the proper temperature when administered. Out of 3.1 million Covid-19 shots given in the state, these 81 shots are the first that the health department has deemed ineffective, which is less than a quarter of a percent.
Jill Montag, a spokesperson for the health department, added in a statement that receiving the ineffective vaccine does not pose a health risk.
“New Yorkers’ health and safety is our top priority,” she said, “and due to this vaccine’s very specific temperature sensitivity, we have a process in place to identify if any temperature excursions occur. This process worked, allowing us to quickly pinpoint the issue, identify the extremely small number of individuals impacted, and immediately begin taking action.”
Montag also noted that overall, tens of thousands of vaccines have been administered at Jones Beach without issue.
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