FDA says Pfizer vaccine contains extra doses, expanding nation s supply
Fenit Nirappil, The Washington Post
Dec. 16, 2020
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Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks at George Washington University Hospital after the administration of some of the nation s first doses of a vaccine to frontline healthcare workers there on Dec. 14, 2020, in Washington, D.C.Photo for The Washington Post by Jahi Chikwendiu
WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that pharmacists can draw additional doses from vials of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, potentially expanding the country s supply by millions of doses as the Trump administration negotiates with Pfizer to speed up the next round of vaccine deliveries.
FDA says Pfizer coronavirus vaccine contains extra doses, expanding nation’s supply Fenit Nirappil
Replay Video UP NEXT The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that pharmacists can draw additional doses from vials of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, potentially expanding the country’s supply by millions of doses as the Trump administration negotiates with Pfizer to speed up the next round of vaccine deliveries. The government’s existing supply of the first authorized vaccine can be stretched further after pharmacists began to notice that vials contain more than the expected five doses. The FDA is in touch with Pfizer about how to handle this issue, the agency said. In the meantime, regulators say those extra doses from a single vial can be used.
Updated on December 17, 2020 at 11:50 am
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December 16, 2020 08:19
As U.S. hospitals ramped up COVID-19 vaccinations Tuesday with the first vaccine approved for emergency use, federal regulators issued a favorable review of a second vaccine needed to combat the country s worsening crisis.
The Food and Drug Administration said its preliminary analysis of a vaccine developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health confirmed its safety and effectiveness. The FDA s review moves the Moderna vaccine closer to regulatory authorization and comes as U.S. hospitals increased vaccinations with the shot developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, which the FDA cleared for emergency use last week.
A committee of outside expert advisers will offer their recommendation on the Moderna vaccine on Thursday, with a final FDA decision expected shortly thereafter. FDA staff members did not raise any significant new concerns about the Moderna vaccine in documents, released Tuesday, that were prepared for Thursday s meeting of experts.