10 People Hospitalized After Mistakenly Injected with Insulin Instead of the Flu Shot

Ten people at a group care facility in Oklahoma were hospitalized after they were mistakenly injected with insulin instead of the flu shot.

Eight of the people were patients at Jacquelyn House, a group home for adults with intellectual disabilities, and the other two were staff members.

When the police arrived at Jacquelyn House they “found not one unresponsive person, but multiple unresponsive people,” Bartlesville Police Chief Tracy Roles said in a press conference, according to KTUL.

“All these people are symptomatic, lying on the ground, needing help, but can’t communicate what they need. That’s why I give a lot of praise to the fire and EMS staff for doing an outstanding job of identifying the problem,” she said.

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The pharmacist who administered the shots was a contractor hired to give the patients and staff the flu shot, and has practiced for 40 years, News on 6 reported.

“At some point, and we don’t know how it happened yet, the vial that contained the flu vaccine was traded out for a vile containing what we believe to be insulin,” Roles said.

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PEOPLE has contacted Ability Works, which runs Jacquelyn House, for comment.

First responders on the scene said that many of the patients had extremely low blood sugar, and all were sent to the hospital. According to News on 6, they have all been treated and will be released soon.

Roles said that they are investigating how the mix-up occurred.

“The person who administered what we believe is insulin is being very cooperative. Not being evasive or elusive at all,” she said. I’m so hopeful that means that this was just a terrible accident. The bigger hope is that all of the patients who are at the hospital make a full recovery.”