To cut wastage, Pfizer to offer smaller packages of COVID vaccine
Washington: US drug maker Pfizer aims to roll out smaller packages of its Covid-19 vaccine for public health departments and care providers by October, media reports said.
Pfizer is working on smaller packing options, the drug maker said in a statement to CBS News.
The change can help increase the availability of vaccines in smaller, more rural areas and decrease the number of wasted doses.
Currently, Pfizer's mRNA Covid vaccine is available in two packages: one with 450 doses and another with 1,170. But the vaccine's cold storage requirement limits where and for how long they can be kept, making it challenging for smaller facilities to store high quantities of the vaccine without wasting doses.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last month, updated the immunisation partners of the potential change -- revealed a document obtained by CBS News.
While the CDC document did not specify what the new packaging would entail, it told partners to "stay tuned for more details".
The change could allow shipments to go directly to doctor's offices, Dr Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Officers, was quoted as saying.
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