SEARCH ON FOR SMALLER SYRINGES FOR NEW PROTOCOL

Canada's procurement department is scrambling to source smaller syringes for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, anticipating that Health Canada will agree to change the label to say each vial contains six doses instead of five. Pfizer formally requested the change Jan. 22, and Health Canada's regulatory team that approved the vaccine for use Dec. 9 is now considering the new material. If the label is amended, Pfizer will ship fewer vials to Canada overall because Canada's contract with the vaccine-maker is based on 40 million doses, not vials. That sixth dose was a surprise find by medical professionals who found using special syringes could extract the extra dose. But those syringes are not common and have become the latest COVID-19 hot commodity after both Europe and the U.S. agreed to the label change earlier this month.