Israeli elementary school student receives same vaccine twice in two weeks

The incident occurred due to a misunderstanding between the school and the FEMI Premium nurse who came to vaccinate the children ahead of the winter.

A child receives the COVID-19 vaccine at a temporary Maccabi healthcare center in Rehovot on Monday. (photo credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)
A child receives the COVID-19 vaccine at a temporary Maccabi healthcare center in Rehovot on Monday.
(photo credit: YOSSI ALONI/FLASH90)

Seven-year-old Yair Montag, a student at Kaplan Elementary School in Petah Tikva, was forced to receive the same vaccinations twice in two weeks.

The incident occurred due to a misunderstanding between the school and the FEMI Premium nurse who came to vaccinate the children ahead of the winter. 

FEMI Premium is a health services company responsible for all school vaccinations across Israel. It was also responsible for operating COVID-19 PCR tests conducted at Ben-Gurion Airport in 2021 and caused a scandal after thousands of incoming passengers reported that they have not received the results of their PCR tests after a prolonged period of time.

Child receives double vaccine dose by mistake

Montag's attempts to alert the nurse to the fact he had already received his vaccinations two weeks prior fell on deaf ears. When the child asked the nurse to speak with his mother to confirm his claims, she replied that she already had.

However, after the nurse vaccinated the student, it was revealed that the nurse did, in fact, speak to a mother - the mother of another student, also named Yair.

 Israeli school  students receive Covid-19 vaccine injection, at Hadassim primary school in Tzur Hadassah, December 19, 2021.  (credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)
Israeli school students receive Covid-19 vaccine injection, at Hadassim primary school in Tzur Hadassah, December 19, 2021. (credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)

Moreover, it was later discovered that the second child, whose mother spoke with the nurse, was the unvaccinated student.

Israeli child's mother blames 'negligent nurse'

Later on the day of the vaccination, the twice-jabbed student reported feeling unwell and in pain. "He said his arm was in pain from the vaccination... I did not understand how he is still in pain two weeks since he was jabbed," Yair's mother explained.

"I was only alerted to this scandal after my son referenced that he was vaccinated twice in a conversation with his grandmother," she continued, "this is the case of a negligent nurse who filled a form with the wrong child's name."

"I asked the school for the nurse's details only for them to tell me they don't even know her name," she said. "Today it was my child; tomorrow it could be yours."

The Petah Tikva school's administration reported the incident to the relevant authorities, including the Health Ministry, saying the incident is being examined by all parties involved.