BERLIN

Several children in the northern German city of Hannover were given the wrong amount of COVID-19 vaccine, health officials said on Tuesday.

At least 21 children were mistakenly given an adult dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday at a vaccination center in the Hannover Zoo, the city’s health department said in a statement.

Marlene Graf, a medical specialist from the department, said the higher dosage would not have any negative health impact on children but may lead to side effects such as a sore arm or fever.

Parents of the affected children were informed through e-mails and phone calls.

Steffen Krach, the region’s president, apologized for the error and said they will take all the measures to ensure that the mistake is not repeated.