With the news that the Pfizer and BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine tubes may offer an extra dose, the federal agency has updated the labeling to use low-volume syringes.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an updated label that can extract the possible extra dose of the Pfizer and BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine using low-volume syringes, as reported on CNN.
“Low-dose syringes and / or needles can be used to withdraw six doses from one vial. If standard syringes and needles are used, there may not be enough volume to withdraw a sixth dose from one vial,” he said. the FDA declares. .
Although refilling Pfizer and BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine vials may provide an extra dose, low-volume syringes are not standard, and many hospitals, medical centers, and vaccine distribution centers may not currently have access. not to that. .
It has been reported over the past few days that Pfizer plans to count the additional doses for its 200 million dose commitment, which was distributed to the US by the end of July this year.
This decision, initially in a story in the The New York Times, occurs at a time when the vaccine supply is much needed and the vaccination of the vaccine was slower than expected. Some healthcare providers also say that the extra doses are not in line with every vial.
In the same story, it was also reported that Pfizer executives challenged the wording of the vaccine’s emergency permits to acknowledge that vials contained 6 doses, not 5. The difference the FDA recognized on January 6 affects the pharmaceutical company’s contract . with the US government.
It can also make it challenging for the new administration to achieve its vaccination goal. President Joe Biden has set a goal of administering 100 million doses of the vaccine in the first 100 days of its administration.