Dr. Peoples says because supply currently outweighs demand, doses often get discarded because there aren t enough patients in a day to receive all of the vaccine doses in an individual vial.
“It doesn’t surprise me, with the chance in the amount of people getting the vaccine. What you have to realize is a lot of it is wasted because we have an ample supply, but we’re not always able to give the total amount of doses in that vial, Dr. Peoples said.
On average, 5-12 doses per day go unused at Peoples Pharmacy alone. Virginia wants to shrink the number of wasted shots.
But St. George is still getting vaccinated with Moderna.
Peoples said she understands the concerns, but as with any medication, her team takes the time to research.
“We’re the drug experts. We study drugs all the time. That’s what we enjoy doing, Peoples said.
She said pharmacists always vet patients and make recommendations.
“We vet people and look very closely at the adverse effects they may receive from the vaccine, Peoples explained. And one of the things that you look for is does the patient - or the individual that s come in - have a bleeding disorder.”
Those who did receive the Johnson & Johnson shot are advised to monitor for symptoms. But it’s important to note that health experts said serious side effects are extremely rare. Six people out of nearly seven million experienced a severe reaction.