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STOP: Those who showed up at the Sarpsborg Vaccine Center today for their second dose of Pfizer vaccine were disappointed. Photo: Christer Andreassen
600 doses of vaccine are at risk and the municipality has urgently summoned health personnel to administer the vaccines.
A refrigerator with just over 600 doses of vaccine ran out of power last night. The municipality is now urgently requesting health personnel to use the more than 300 doses of AstraZeneca that can still be used.
– We have had an accident with a refrigerator in our vaccination center. Vaccines are not properly stored at the correct temperature. A vaccine can be used, where we have 48 hours off, says Sarpsborg health manager Ø claim Werner Johansen.
The vaccines were already intended for health professionals, he adds.
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However, it is not clear whether the more than 300 doses of the Pfizer vaccine that should be given to the elderly as a second dose can be used.
The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine is very sensitive to changes in temperature.
Doses must be stored at minus 75 degrees to remain stable, and can withstand a maximum of five days at refrigerator temperature and two hours at room temperature.
So Johansen fears they will have to discard vaccines.
– There we are in dialogue with the National Institute of Public Health about what we should do, they have not told us yet, says the health director.
The error was discovered on Friday morning when vaccination was due to begin, and the municipality was forced to send the elderly home without the second dose.
– It is very sad and unfortunate, but they will be vaccinated – I promise you.
Johansen emphasizes that those who have to go home without their vaccine dose on Friday will be called for a new appointment shortly.
It is not yet known what caused the refrigerator power loss.
– We will go through what has happened and we will do everything possible so that it does not happen again.
