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The possibility of extracting a sixth dose from Pfizer’s vaccine vials has already been a reality in several countries and in Portugal since Wednesday. The change could allow another 30,000 people to be vaccinated in January alone.
Until now, five vials of Pfizer – BioNTech vaccine distributed in the European Union were allowed to be recalled.
But on Wednesday, the manufacturer submitted a request to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for a change in the conditions of the conditional marketing authorization of the vaccine “Cominarty” to ensure that, for all vials, it is possible to withdraw six doses .
The evaluation is still ongoing at European level, but Infarmed has already informed the vaccination circuit (hospitals and health centers) that, as long as the volume of 0.3 ml is guaranteed in each dose, it is allowed to extract six doses from a bottle. .
This is, in fact, a practice that is already underway in several countries. According to Reuters, Italy has already approved the use of six doses from each vial, outside of the EMA’s decision. The regulator has already granted similar authorizations in the United States, England, Switzerland and Israel.
As in other countries, in Portugal the decision will have a significant impact on the number of people to be vaccinated and will generate savings.
If not, look: for example, 319,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines are expected to arrive in the country in January. This represented a total of 63,800 bottles, if you consider five doses per bottle. Now, if all the vials generate six doses at the limit, 382,800 vaccines are obtained, 63,800 more than expected. Since each person must be vaccinated with two doses, this means that, in January alone, another 31,900 people can be vaccinated.
The price of the vaccines is confidential due to the imposition of the laboratories, but a few days ago a Belgian government official made them known on a social network. The figures have not been confirmed, but no one has denied them either. According to the publication, meanwhile deleted, the marketing price of the Pfizer – BioNTech vaccine in the European Union is 12 euros.
Using this value, it can be concluded that the possibility of extracting six doses from each bottle allows a profit of 765,600 euros only in the Pfizer vaccines that are expected to arrive next month.
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