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EU approves vaccine vial dose boost

THE European Union’s drug agency approved doctors drawing up to six doses from each vial of the coronavirus vaccine made by BioNTech- Pfizer, a move that could speed up the pace of vaccinations in the 27- nation bloc.

The European Medicines Agency said its human medicines committee recommended updating the product information for the vaccine to clarify that each vial contains six doses instead of the five that were advised when it originally greenlighted the PfizerBioNTech vaccine on December 21.

German health ministry spokesperson Hanno Kautz told reporters in Berlin that the change would come into effect immediately, boosting available doses of the vaccine by 20%.

Many doctors across the EU have already been drawing six doses of the vaccine from each vial.

The practice is already permitted in the United States, the UK and elsewhere.

Pharmaceutical companies regularly put more vaccine than necessary into vials so minimum dosage can be ensured even there is some spillage.

The news came shortly after the EU’s executive arm said it had secured 300 million extra doses of the Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the new agreement to buy more doses will double the amount already ordered if by the 27- nation bloc. The EU commission later detailed in a statement that it offered member states to purchase an additional 200m doses of the vaccine, with the option to acquire another 100m doses.

“The additional doses will be delivered starting in the second quarter of 2021,” the EU said.