BROCKVILLE – The Brockville General Hospital is being “overly cautious” after a piece of equipment failed that stored tetanus vaccines.
Patty Dimopoulos, executive assistant to the CEO, told Brockville Newswatch Wednesday they are asking anyone who may have had the shot in the last decade to get a booster dose.
You are urged to call your doctor or health care provider.
The problem was detected after the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit reviewed the hospital’s temperature logs, Dimopoulos said.
The broken fridge has been replaced.
Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a bacteria commonly found in soil which gets into the human body through a cut, affecting the nerves that control muscle function.
It’s estimated 1,200 people would have received a tetanus shot at the BGH emergency room between 2006 and 2016.
“This does not represent a significant volume given the population of Leeds and Grenville over a 10 year period. Again, we are being overly cautious,” Dimopoulos wrote in an email to Brockville Newswatch.
You can also call the BGH immunization phone line at 613-345-8308 for more information.