In a significant development for the U.S. vaccine distribution, federal regulators have granted Moderna the go-ahead to ship vials filled with 50 percent more vaccine. This news comes right on the heels of a setback involving Johnson & Johnson, which saw up to 15 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine rendered unusable due to a manufacturing mix-up.
On Thursday, it was announced that each vial of Moderna’s vaccine will now contain 15 doses instead of the previous 10. This change is expected to bolster the nation’s vaccine supply and ensure that Moderna can fulfill its commitment to deliver hundreds of millions of doses over the upcoming months. The company has pledged to supply 200 million doses by the end of May and 300 million by the end of July, enough to fully vaccinate 150 million people with two doses each.
The FDA stated, “Both of these revisions positively impact the supply of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, which will help provide more vaccine doses to communities and allow shots to get into arms more quickly. Ultimately, more vaccines getting to the public in a timely manner should help bring an end to the pandemic more rapidly.”
Moderna had already begun producing the fuller vials in anticipation of this approval. The company is expected to start shipping these vials in the next few weeks. Additionally, the FDA has authorized vaccine distributors to extract an extra dose from the existing 10-dose vials if possible, which will help minimize waste. However, extracting each last drop requires a special syringe, which has been in short supply for months. Health officials warn that without these syringes, they may only be able to extract 13 doses from the new 15-dose vials.
Despite these challenges, federal health officials remain optimistic that this move will expedite production and delivery. It also aligns with President Joe Biden’s commitment to provide enough vaccine for every U.S. adult by May 1, a promise that faced uncertainty due to the recent Johnson & Johnson situation. In response, at least 46 states have pledged to expand vaccine eligibility to all adults by that date or sooner.
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In summary, the FDA’s approval for Moderna to ship fuller vials of its COVID-19 vaccine represents a crucial step in enhancing the U.S. vaccination effort. With the potential for increased doses per vial, the timeline for immunizing the population may improve, helping to mitigate setbacks caused by other vaccine manufacturers.