Kroger Injects Air Into COVID Vaccine Recipients

Kroger says a small number of people who came to the Little Clinic at their location off of Midlothian Turnpike to get their COVID-19 vaccines ended up getting an “empty syringe” after the company previously said it was a saline shot.

In a statement, the company says it was an “honest mistake.” They went on to say, “All impacted customers were contacted and have now received the COVID-19 vaccine. We apologize for this oversight and the inconvenience caused for these customers.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Kroger said the shots were saline, but the company now said they were actually “empty syringes.” (an empty syringe is filled with air)

Injecting a small air bubble into the skin or a muscle is usually harmless. But it might mean you aren't getting the full dose of medicine, because the air takes up space in the syringe. Injecting air into a vein creates an arterial Air Embolism, that can cause a heart attack, stroke, or respiratory failure.

Kroger also didn’t specify how many people were impacted by this mix-up, only saying it was a small number of people.

Arterial Air Embolism
When an air bubble enters a vein, it's called a venous air embolism. When an air bubble enters an artery, it's called an arterial air embolism. These air bubbles can travel to your brain, heart, or lungs and cause a heart attack, stroke, or respiratory failure. Air embolisms are rather rare.