Italian woman mistakenly receives six doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine

It is understood the incident has been reported to Italy’s Medicines regulator. File Picture: PA

A woman in Italy is being monitored by doctors after she mistakenly received six doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.

According to Agenzia Giornalistica Italia (AGI), the woman, a 23-year-old student, is in a good condition and is receiving fluids and paracetamol.

The woman received the doses in a hospital in Tuscany on Sunday.

It is understood the incident has been reported to Italy’s Medicines regulator.

Several countries including Germany, Australia and Israel have previously reported overdoses of the vaccine.

Tests to examine the effect of overdoses of the Pfizer jab were limited to four doses.

The extra doses are not thought to be dangerous. However, typical vaccine side-effects like headaches, fever etc are likely to be amplified by any extra jabs.

Covid-19 vaccinations are now open to people older than 50 in most regions of Italy.

From today, anyone born in or before 1971 and living in Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Puglia and Veneto is able to register for their jab.

Other regions - Campania, Trenton-Alto Adige and Sicily - have been allowing those over 50 to register and receive their Covid-19 vaccination for several weeks.

Italian Health Commissioner Francesco Figliuolo last week urged more regions to begin vaccinating over 50s.

At present, Italy is administering around 450,000 doses each week.

12.3 percent of the country are fully vaccinated, while 27.9% have got their first dose.