The Health Service Executive has apologised and paid €20,000 compensation to a teenager who was administered the wrong Covid-19 vaccine using a needle that had already been used on another patient.
Ella Mockler Mulhern, now 17 and approaching her 18th birthday, suffered what her barrister described as “triple negligence” when she attended a vaccination centre at Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Dublin, in August 2021.
The Circuit Civil Court heard that HSE staff not only administered the incorrect vaccination to the then 13-year-old but used a needle that had previously been used on one of three other patients. The second vaccination was given without discussion or consent from either Ella or her father.
Barrister James Cross, representing Ella, told Judge Fiona O’Sullivan that when the family questioned the treatment, the nurse initially denied the needle had been used previously. However, following an investigation by the Clinical Lead Nurse, it was confirmed the syringe had been used on another person, though staff were unable to identify which of three possible patients.
The medical error forced Ella to undergo extensive testing and treatment. She required blood tests, Hepatitis B vaccination, and a month-long course of post-exposure antiretroviral therapy after one of the three potential previous needle users refused to undergo blood testing.
The treatment caused Ella to feel acutely unwell with nausea, preventing her from attending school for almost a month. She underwent testing for Hepatitis C and HIV, developed psychological trauma and a fear of doctors as a result of the incident.
Nearly a year later, Ella developed an abscess that ruptured during her school sports day, causing considerable distress and requiring antibiotic treatment. Medical professionals could not determine whether this complication was related to her treatment at Citywest.
The HSE initially offered €11,500 in settlement, which was rejected by another judge. This was followed by an offer of €16,500 before the final settlement of €20,000 plus expenses and legal costs.
Judge O’Sullivan approved the final compensation amount, stating that the injuries associated with the incident would have had “a serious impact on the child” and that €20,000 was acceptable in the circumstances.
HSE barrister Seamus Breen read a formal apology on behalf of the health service, accepting full responsibility for the incident and emphasizing that Ella was blameless. The HSE wished Ella “every success in her life.”
Ella’s father, Niall Mulhern of Beech Park, Lucan, County Dublin, provided written evidence detailing the family’s ordeal following the vaccination centre error.