JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said late Wednesday night that extra doses from vials of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can be used after reports of vaccine doses were being thrown away by pharmacists due to a labeling error.
The Pfizer vials were labeled as holding five doses, but pharmacists said there was enough for a sixth or even a seventh dose. Without clear approval from the manufacturer, the extra dose had to be discarded. It’s not clear how many doses were thrown away across the country.
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But with the new FDA authorization, the existing supply of the vaccine can be stretched even further. A government advisory panel endorsed Moderna’s vaccine Thursday, paving the way for the shot to be added to the U.S. vaccination campaign. The FDA is expected to follow the recommendation for the vaccine. If so, another 367,000 vaccines could be on the way to Florida to arrive as soon as this weekend.
Jacksonville pharmacist Dr. Albert Chester said Moderna’s vaccine is easier to store than Pfizer’s. The Moderna vaccine only needs to be stored at -13°F to -5°F, compared to Pfizer’s -112°F to -76°F. The Moderna vaccine also doesn’t need to be diluted like Pfizer’s.
“Storage is always key, but right now we just want to keep up the continuity. I would hope a year from now, we see some significant changes -- maybe even earlier than that,” Chester said.
Both vaccines are said to be 95% effective and both need to be given in two doses, weeks apart.
RELATED: Nearly a dozen Northeast Florida hospitals slated to receive Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
Ascension St. Vincent’s in Jacksonville moved forward with Pfizer to vaccinate its front-line staff Thursday.
Memorial Hospital Jacksonville began vaccinations at 10 a.m. Thursday after the Pfizer vaccine arrived earlier in the morning. The hospital said its clinical staff and employees who are front-line care workers were being vaccinated first.