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Pharmacists discover extra doses of COVID vaccine!
When a reporter talked to pharmacists in Ohio who were among the first to administer the COVID vaccine, the pharmacists noticed that there was enough left in the multidose vial for an additional one or two full doses. However, original guidance from FDA and Pfizer indicated that only five doses could be administered from each vial. Enough pharmacists around the country contacted the FDA that they posted the following FAQ on their website which authorizes the use of up to seven full doses of the vaccine, if obtainable from the multidose vial. They emphasize that you should not combine leftover product from different multidose vials to make a full dose. National news article accredited “Clever Pharmacist“ with possibly increasing the amount of vaccine available by 20 to 40%. Great work. Here’s the FDA item:
Q: Some vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have contained extra product after five doses is obtained. Can the extra be used?
FDA is aware of the issue and working with Pfizer to determine the best path forward, and will share additional updates as we have them. At this time, given the public health emergency, FDA is advising that it is acceptable to use every full dose obtainable (the sixth, or possibly even a seventh) from each vial, pending resolution of the issue. However, since the vials are preservative free, it is critical to note that any further remaining product that does not constitute a full dose should not be pooled from multiple vials to create one.
