KEY POINTS
  • Stat News reported earlier that hospital pharmacists found themselves in the position of throwing away one in every six doses of the first Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines distributed this week in the United States because of the confusion over labeling.
  • The Pfizer vials are supposed to hold five doses, according to the labeling, but media reports said pharmacists had found a way for a sixth or even a seventh dose.
  • Without clear approval from the manufacturer, the extra dose had to be discarded.
Vials with Covid-19 Vaccine stickers attached and medical syringe with the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and BioNTech German biotechnology company logos.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday that extra doses from vials of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine can be used after reports of vaccine doses being thrown away by pharmacists due to labeling confusion.

Stat News reported earlier that hospital pharmacists found themselves in the position of throwing away one in every six doses of the first Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines distributed this week in the United States because of the confusion over labeling.