Pfizer will be shipping out fewer COVID-19 vaccine vials to the US after it was discovered that each vial actually contained an unplanned-for extra dose, according to the pharmaceutical company.
Pharmacists discovered in December that they could extract an extra, sixth dose from each Pfizer vaccine vial; on Jan. 6, the Food and Drug Administration granted Pfizer’s request to update the vaccine’s fact sheet to make clear there is a sixth dose in the vials.
The change means Pfizer will be able to send out fewer vials to fulfil its commitment to provide the U.S. with 200 million doses by the end of July.
“We will fulfill our supply commitments in line with our existing agreements – which are based on delivery of doses, not vials – and we are confident in our ability to deliver 200 million doses of our vaccine to the U.S. government by July 31st,” a Pfizer spokeswoman said in a statement to The Post.
“In a situation of limited vaccine supply amidst a public health crisis, our intent with this label change is to provide clarity to healthcare providers, minimize vaccine wastage, and enable the most efficient use of the vaccine,” the spokeswoman added.