(Correct BioNtech spokesperson, not Pfizer, paragraphs 4-5)
FRANKFURT, Dec 27 (Reuters) – German coronavirus vaccination campaign was delayed in several cities on Sunday after temperature trackers showed that about 1,000 of the shots taken by BioNTech and Pfizer may not have been enough. cold during traffic.
“When reading the temperature recorders that were locked in the cold boxes, doubts arose about compliance with the requirements of the cold chain,” said in a statement the district of Lichtenfels, in the north of the largest state of Germany, Bavaria.
Medical staff found that the temperature in a cold box carrying vaccines had risen to 15 degrees Celsius, a Lichtenfels spokesman said, above the maximum of 8C stipulated by the manufacturers. He added that his district had not yet received advice from BioNtech on how to proceed.
BioNtech said in a statement that it was responsible for shipping to the 25 German distribution centers and that federal states and local authorities were responsible for shipping to vaccination centers and mobile vaccination equipment.
“Here the temperature variations took place. We are in contact with many authorities to advise them, but it depends on them how to proceed, ”said a spokeswoman for BioNTech.
In a December presentation, BioNtech said that once removed from the freezer, the vaccine can be stored for up to five days at 2-8C and up to two hours at temperatures of up to 30C, before use.
The vaccine, which uses the new technology called mRNA, must be stored at extremely low temperatures of about -70 degrees Celsius (-112 ° F) before being sent to distribution centers in specially designed cold boxes. full of dry ice.
Once out of storage at ultra low temperature, the vaccine should be kept at 2C to 8C to keep it effective for up to five days. The cool boxes designed by Pfizer are equipped with GPS trackers so companies can deal with possible storage issues along the way.
A Lichtenfels spokesman said 1,000 shots had been affected by the temperature problem and that the city and districts of Coburg, Kronach, Kulmbach, Hof, Bayreuth and Wunsiedel in northern Bavaria were waiting to hear from BioNTech if the vaccine could still be used. .
“Coronavirus vaccination is not about who gets vaccinated faster or who gets more doses. Safety and conscientious work for the benefit of the people have the highest priority, ”said Oliver Baer, Hof district administrator.
The European Union on Sunday launched a massive vaccination campaign against COVID-19 with pensioners and doctors lined up to get the first shots to see a pandemic that has paralyzed economies and caused more than 1.7 million lives in all the world.
Delays in Germany highlight the challenge of deploying the vaccine as regulators review to approve other features, including those made by Moderna and AstraZeneca, that are easier to transport and store.
The deployment of the Pfizer vaccine in the United States has been slow, calling into question the government’s goal of 20 million vaccinations this month, as hospitals have sailed preparing previously frozen shots for use, finding staff to run clinics and ensuring proper social distancing. .
In Germany, similar temperature problems also delayed the start of the vaccination campaign in the southern districts of Bavaria, Augsburg and Dillingen, where staff eventually obtained permission from BioNTech to use the shots.
Germany’s vaccination campaign officially kicked off Sunday with the inoculation of nursing home residents. The federal government plans to distribute more than 1.3 million doses to local health authorities by the end of this year and about 700,000 weekly starting in January. (Additional report by Josephine Mason; Edited by David Clarke and Nick Macfie)