MOORESVILLE, N.C. (WJZY) – A North Carolina family is outraged after their newborn son was vaccinated against their wishes, even after they filled out hospital-provided refusal forms.
Catherine McHutchison, of Mooresville, gave birth to her baby boy on Feb. 8 at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center via scheduled cesarean section. What was supposed to be a momentous occasion for her, her husband, and their 6-year-old daughter ended up being tainted by an unsanctioned Hepatitis B vaccine.
“It was something that we had spoken about for various reasons. It was something that was spoken about to my OB. And it was expressed that morning in the hospital to a nurse,” said McHutchison.
McHutchison said it doesn’t matter why she and her husband decided against vaccinating their children; it’s their right to choose.
“After I had the C-section, while still heavily medicated, a nurse came in and she was apologizing on behalf of the nurse she was training,” said McHutchison.
A hospital document shows her baby was given the Hepatitis B vaccination, despite “never verifying” the parental consent form. It also shows the vaccination order was never even entered into the system.
“It took a lot out of the whole experience for me. I had a C-section and instead of staying the whole time, I left the next day. I didn’t feel comfortable there after the two nurses’ negligence,” said McHutchison.
After reaching out to Lake Norman Regional Medical Center after she left, she said she received an apology letter. It read, “Due to human oversight, your refusal for the vaccination was not reviewed prior to administering the medication. … Corrective actions were taken with the involved team member(s). Additionally, we have reviewed this process, explored ways to amend the consenting process to eliminate confusion and used this issue as a highlighted safety moment with our team members.”
“I don’t think they’ve taken it seriously enough, and you can’t take a vaccine back,” said McHutchison.
WJZY asked the hospital about its policies regarding vaccinations and consent. The hospital said it can’t comment on specific cases, but an internal review is conducted whenever a complaint is brought to its attention.