Thousands In Germany Thought They Had Their Vaccine. It May Have Been Saline Instead

A nurse in northern Germany is suspected of having duped thousands of people into receiving a shot of saline rather than a COVID-19 vaccine.

Authorities say that a Red Cross nurse working at a vaccination site in Friesland is believed to have given out the fake shot to residents during March and April, Reuters reports. Around 8,600 people could have received the saline solution instead of the vaccine, Sven Ambrosy, a district administrator of Friesland, said on Facebook.

"I'm totally shocked by the incident," Ambrosy said. "The district of Friesland will do everything possible to ensure that the affected people receive their vaccination protection as soon as possible."

The saline solution is not dangerous, but officials are urging anyone who got vaccinated at the Roffhausen Vaccination Center during that period to get vaccinated again. They are contacting those who may have received a fake vaccine via phone or email, and a dedicated information phone line has also been established, officials wrote on Facebook.