With the news that the Pfizer and BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine vials may provide an additional dose, the federal agency updated the labeling to allow the use of low-volume syringes to extract it.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an updated label that allows a potential additional dose to be extracted from the Pfizer and BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine using low-volume syringes, CNN reported.
“Low-volume syringes and / or needles may be used to extract six doses from a single vial. If standard syringes and needles are used, there may not be enough volume to extract a sixth dose from a single vial.” , the FDA said.
While overfilling Pfizer and BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine vials may provide an additional dose, low-volume syringes are not standard and many hospitals, medical centers, and vaccine distribution sites may not have access to them. Right Now. .
In recent days it was reported that Pfizer intends to count the additional doses for its commitment of 200 million doses distributed in the US at the end of July this year.
This decision, initially in a story of the The New York Times, comes at a time when the supply of vaccines is very much needed and the deployment of vaccines has been slower than expected. And, some healthcare providers say the extra doses are not consistent with all vials.
In the same story, it was also reported that Pfizer executives have been challenging the wording of the vaccine’s emergency use authorization to recognize that the distributed vials contain 6 doses, not 5. The difference, recognized by the FDA on Jan. 6, influences the pharmaceutical company’s contract with the U.S. government.
This can also make it difficult for the new administration to achieve its vaccination goal. President Joe Biden has set a goal for 100 million doses of the vaccine to be administered during the first 100 days of its administration.