#77 Iowa inmates received overdoses of COVID vaccine

Dozens of Iowa prisoners received overdoses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday — kicking off an internal investigation at the state facility, a report said.

The inmates at Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison were given up to six times the normal dose of the Pfizer vaccine, the Des Moines Register, citing the state Department of Corrections.

None of the 77 prisoners required outside medical attention from their side effects.

“The large majority of inmates continue to have very minor symptoms consistent with those that receive the recommended dose of the vaccine,” Cord Overton, a spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Corrections, told the newspaper.

Common symptoms included body aches and arm soreness, according to Overton.

“One inmate has experienced a low-grade fever, which was treatable with Tylenol,” Overton said.

The mother of one of the inmates who got the shot told the newspaper that others suffered nausea and severe dehydration.

An investigation into the incident is underway as the facility has paused all vaccinations.

Two nursing staffers who administered the shots have been placed on leave amid the probe.