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Lithuania has so far only vaccinated the population with coronavirus vaccines made by BioNTech and Pfizer. They are called ‘ice’ vaccines because they must be stored at extremely low temperatures.
The package insert states that after reconstitution with 1.8 ml of sodium chloride, each 2.25 ml vial of substance contains 5 doses of 0.3 ml vaccine.
However, doctors point out that if everything is done correctly and carefully, it is possible to extract six doses: this is what UK doctors can do.
SEE ALSO: Read: Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Patient Information Leaflet
The number of people vaccinated could be increased
Laimonas Griškevičius, member of the Council of Experts convened by the Government and Director of the Center for Hematology, Oncology and Transfusionology, responded favorably to this decision.
“We must do everything possible, we also discussed with the Ministry of Health to allow vaccination with more than 5 doses of vials. <...> If it’s possible to get six doses out of six vials instead of five, but sometimes seven or seven doses, then we really should do it, and then we could increase the number of people vaccinated really significantly, ”he said at a press conference earlier.
Photo by Josvydas Elinskas / 15min / Laimonas Griškevičius
Outgoing Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga explained that his successor, Minister Arūnas Dulkys, should allow six COVID-19 vaccines to be taken from a container without expecting anything.
“I think it is very irresponsible to throw away almost a fifth of the vaccines in this situation, when the amount of vaccines is very small, which enter the country. This is elementary without brand legalization, extension and the Minister has such right. <...> 8,000 doses in the trash is cruelly irresponsible, I really don’t think anyone will understand.
All the more so because the use is absolutely safe, that is, the amount that remains after dilution is for whom to dispose of it. If we said that five doses of that dilution were good, why does the sixth one turn bad for some reason or why should it be discarded? The Minister has every opportunity to do so and I would suggest that you do not expect anything, ”taught A. Veryga at the Seimas Health Affairs Committee session on Wednesday.
Would be illegal
The Deputy Minister of Health Živilė Simonaitytė, who participated in the same meeting, assured that the minister cannot allow the population to be vaccinated at his discretion.
“I understand the wish, but it would be illegal to use the sixth dose at this time, and then the minister would have to take responsibility, and probably criminal, not just administrative,” he said, noting that the sixth dose would be discussed by a panel of experts.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / Živilė Simonaitytė
Member of the Council of Experts formed under the Government, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health of the University of Health Sciences of Lithuania Ramunė Kalėdienė 15 minutes stated that the Council had considered the use of the sixth dose of the vaccine, but that no decision had yet been made.
“We have debated very intensively, but until now the decision has not been made. I think it should become clear in the near future. It depends a lot on common decisions and the legal framework of the European Union, “he said.
A European decision is expected
Gytis Andrulionis, head of the State Medicines Control Service, previously stated that if the European Medicines Agency allows the use of the sixth dose, Lithuania will apply it immediately.
But that is not yet possible.
On Thursday an order signed by Minister A. Dulkis came into force, according to which the health institutions of a person receiving vaccines must:
- accept transmissible “ice” vaccines;
- Store “frozen” vaccines under the conditions specified by the manufacturer;
- ensure that vaccinations with “frozen” vaccines are carried out in accordance with the summary of product characteristics and the description of the “frozen” vaccine.
- maintain records of vaccines transmitted and received, respectively, for TABs that organize services and for TABs that receive vaccines.
Lithuania, with the companies BioNTech and Pfizer, has agreed to receive more than 2 million. vaccine dose. More than 40 thousand of them have already been delivered to Lithuania. dose.
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