The change could help increase the availability of vaccines in smaller, more rural areas and reduce the number of doses wasted.
US drugmaker Pfizer aims to roll out smaller packages of its COVID-19 vaccine to public health departments and care providers by October, media reports have said. Pfizer is working on smaller packing options, the drugmaker said in a statement to CBS News.
The change could help increase the availability of vaccines in smaller, more rural areas and reduce the number of doses wasted.
Currently, Pfizer’s mRNA COVID vaccine is available in two packages: one with 450 doses and the other with 1,170. But vaccine cold storage requirements limit where and for how long they can be stored, making it challenging for smaller facilities to store high amounts of vaccine without wasting doses.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated immunization partners last month of a possible change – revealed a document obtained by CBS News.
While the CDC document did not specify what the new packaging would include, it asked partners to “stay tuned for more details.”
Dr Marcus Plesia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Officers, said the change could allow shipments to go directly to doctor’s offices.
Currently, supplements for locations without adequate storage capabilities are often removed from a larger facility, where they are kept to reduce waste, the report said.
A CDC spokesman said last week that more than 14.5 million doses have been wasted so far, which is about 3.4 percent of all delivered doses.
The spokesperson said jabs given in multidose vials, like the Kovid-19 shots, usually result in a wastage of 5-15 per cent.
Meanwhile, Pfizer’s booster shot is likely to receive US Food and Drug Administration and CDC approval by September 20. Moderna may be delayed.
As of now, an additional dose of Pfizer or Moderna has been authorized for Americans who are immunocompromised. According to the CDC, more than 1.3 million such immunocompromised individuals have received an additional shot.
Read also: Pfizer Covid booster shot likely to start in US by Sept 20: Fauci
Read also: UK sends 4 million Pfizer doses to Australia in swap deal
.