Questionable vaccines administered to 140 people at Seoul hospital

Vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine / Reuters-Yonhap

As many as 140 people at a general hospital in Seoul were given shots last week of questionable Pfizer vaccines that had passed or were nearing their recommended vaccination use deadline after being thawed out, health officials said Saturday.

According to the officials, Korea University Guro Hospital in southern Seoul used Pfizer vaccines that came close to or exceeded the deadline for use after thawing, during vaccinations conducted on Aug. 26 and 27.

About 140 people received the questionable vaccines that were supposed to be discarded, they said, adding some of them visited the emergency room later after having abnormal reactions.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency is reportedly debating whether to re-vaccinate the recipients due to concern the possibly problematic vaccines may not be effective.

Officials said Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines should be stored frozen and thawed in a refrigerator or at room temperature before use. (Yonhap)