An on-call nurse in Iowa has been fired after improperly administering monkeypox vaccines to Polk County residents, the Des Moines Register reported Sept. 14.
The Polk County Health Department said Cheryl Sondall, RN, who worked for the department for several years and received proper training, failed to follow protocol when administering the shot to five patients during a clinic Sept. 6, according to the report.
Ms. Sondall administered the vaccines subcutaneously, or beneath the skin, instead of intradermally, or between the layers of the skin, the department said in a statement shared with Becker's.
The Des Moines Register was unable to reach Ms. Sondall on Sept. 14.
The FDA on Aug. 9 issued an emergency use authorization to allow a single vial of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine to be split into up to five doses and be administered intradermally instead of subcutaneously. The move was aimed at expanding the U.S. supply of the shot, which is a two-dose series given four weeks apart.
The five affected patients "are now being revaccinated using the appropriate vaccine route," the Polk County Health Department said.
"We are very disappointed in the situation. We are taking proactive measures to ensure this doesn’t happen again, and this employee is no longer employed by Polk County."
More than 22,770 monkeypox cases had been confirmed in the U.S. as of Sept. 14, CDC data shows.