The Institute for Safe Medication Practices has raised concerns about vaccination-related errors, particularly with newer vaccines, as highlighted in its 2022-2023 Bi-Annual report.
With the approval of new vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus in adults and updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines, the report showed there has been rising opportunities for confusion in their administration.
The ISMP report analyzed nearly 2,000 vaccination errors from January 2022 to December 2023, and the most common errors were administering the wrong vaccine (25%), using expired or deteriorating vaccines (20%) and incorrect dosing (12%). The errors predominantly occurred in outpatient settings such as medical clinics and pharmacies.
The ISMP urged healthcare providers to improve vaccine safety by adopting risk-reduction strategies such as using technology, ensuring proper storage and verifying patient information.