About 70 children who were vaccinated against coronavirus in Prince George’s County received expired first or second doses because of a storage issue, county health officials said Thursday.

Those children ages 5 to 11 do not face health risks because of the error, officials said, although the doses of Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine they received are less likely to effectively protect them against covid-19.The health department has scheduled a special clinic to revaccinate the children, who got their shots Nov. 26 at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Center in Landover, said George L.

The mistake was the result of a storage error that the county’s vendor caught who has been helping lead the county’s covid-19 response. Department officials consulted extensively with the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention, the Maryland state health department and Pfizer about how to proceed.

Askew said he is hopeful that the mistake will not increase parents’ concerns about the getting their children vaccinated. The health department will offer private clinics for children affected by the mistake on Dec. 5 and Dec. 11 at the Cheverly Health Center. The doses they received on Nov. 26 had expired Nov. 24

“We certainly regret this incident,” Askew said. “And we are really, really sorry for the inconvenience it causes our families.”