HARRISBURG (KDKA) – The state says some COVID-19 vaccine providers accidentally gave doses that were supposed to be reserved for second shots.
“In the short term, we are faced with the second dose of Moderna vaccine requests that are much higher than the Moderna vaccine awarded to the state this week,” said Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam.
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It has no effect on the Pfizer vaccine.
Beam said about 200,000 second doses of Moderna are being requested this week, which is about the entire weekly Moderna grant from the state.
She describes it as a ‘structural issue’ that started in early January and was put together ‘week-after-week’. “Now the state is addressing it because it has become such an important issue. Beam says the state is working on a plan to promote the second doses.
“We are working to address this week. Over the next two to three weeks, we will have corrected for that, ”she said.
She would not say which suppliers made the mistake.
‘First, we examined excess inventory not scheduled for administration this week, and, to the extent that we were able to do so, used it to address this issue. “Secondly, one of the remedies includes adjusting the timing of the administration of Moderna second dose,” said Beam.
According to Beam, all providers will follow CDC guidelines which state that the minimum time between the first and second survey is 28 days and the maximum 42.
“By extending the time between doses while staying within the CDC guidelines, we can reduce any disruption of vaccinations for the first dose,” Beam said. “Our goal is to give people the extremely limited supply and vaccine as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
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Beam said there are about 30,000 to 60,000 people who will likely have to recreate their second appointments one to two weeks later. As for first appointments, there may be 30 to 55,000 doses that suppliers expected would not be delivered.
Beam said everyone who received the wrong dose did not have to start their vaccination process again.
“There is no difference in the medicine in the first and second dose,” Beam said.
The secretary said people should get their second shot in the same place as their first shot.
Health officials still stressed that supply is still the biggest problem getting shots in the arms.
Dr. Debra Bogen, director of health in Allegheny County, says it keeps its first dose and second dose separate. As for other sites, she could not say.
At this stage, dr. Do not arc a time when the provincial sites can expand to the entire phase 1A.
‘Over the past few weeks, people 65 and older have focused. About half of our doses have so far gone to 65 people, ‘she said during the press conference on Wednesday.
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The health department in the province gets about 10% of the vaccinations of the country. The majority go to the health care systems and hospitals.