Pharmacists say combining leftover COVID-19 vaccine could increase daily shots by 10% dailymail.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailymail.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thousands of potential vaccine doses are left behind in spent vials
Inova s chief pharmacist says if the hospital was allowed to pull half doses from spent vials and combine them, they d be able to vaccinate thousands more. Author: Bruce Leshan Updated: 6:52 PM EST February 23, 2021
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. For people who are still struggling to get a COVID vaccine, this news may sound heartbreaking: hospital pharmacists are throwing away thousands of potential doses every day. Current FDA regulations ban pharmacists from pooling what s left in the bottom of a vial to be used again, thus contributing to vaccine waste.
The policy has left Melanie Massiah-White, the chief pharmacist at Inova Health System in tears.
The FDA says leftover Covid-19 vaccine cannot be combined because neither Moderna's nor Pfizer's products contain preservatives to prevent contamination.