A healthcare professional wearing a protective mask fills a syringe with a dose of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on a large-scale vaccination in Sacramento, California, February 4, 2021.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
As Covid-19 vaccination efforts are underway at major retailers and pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, a greater question is what to do with excess vaccine.
Both versions of the vaccine should be stored at very low temperatures. After thawing, the vaccine should be administered within a few hours. In addition, vaccine vials contain multiple doses.
Companies told The Wall Street Journal that they plan to use waiting lists and to consider employees who are eligible if excess inventory is available. The goal is to avoid wasting doses, which is still rare.
As of Thursday, vaccine doses are being shipped to thousands of drugstores and grocery stores such as CVS and Walmart in the US. This move will start with about 6,500 stores and will help speed up implementation, to ensure more Americans are protected from Covid-19.
The companies plan appointments based on the amount of vaccine they receive at each location, but they may find themselves with excess vaccine if customers do not show up for an appointment, or if a vaccine vial contains more vaccine than expected.
Currently, only two vaccines, one from Pfizer-BioNTech and another from Moderna, have been approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration. Both types require two doses of the shot to be effective.
The retailers have to follow different rules and local rules on the requirements as they manage waiting lists and determine what to do with excess doses. In some countries, retailers qualify to receive the vaccine, while in other countries they are not considered a high priority group unless they are above a certain age or have a specific medical condition.
A Walmart spokesman told the newspaper the dealer approached buyers or workers who qualify according to state guidelines with the opportunity to be vaccinated if there is a surplus.
Walmart has worked with state health departments on protocols to avoid waste, a Walmart spokesman told CNBC. With these protocols, excess open and available doses can be administered to individuals, including employees, who are eligible for the priority order.
A Walgreens spokesman told CNBC that they would consider their employees for the remaining doses and that they would communicate with state and local jurisdictions for doses beyond that.
Meanwhile, according to the state, pharmacists at CVS will keep a list of qualified patients and use it to determine who is receiving the remaining doses of the vaccine, Chris Cox, senior vice president of CVS Health, told CNBC.
Read the full story in The Wall Street Journal.