A few days into the historical distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, confusion is circulating over when and how many doses will be issued in the coming weeks.
What We Know:
- Several governors have proclaimed that half as many Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shots as anticipated will be delivered in the next few weeks. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has hinted that Pfizer is experiencing manufacturing issues.
- The Federal Department of Health and Human Services released a statement Thursday denying the number of doses is lessened.
- An HHS representative mentioned in a statement that reports that jurisdictions’ allocations are being lessened are incorrect. “As was done with the first shipments of Pfizer vaccine, jurisdictions will receive the vaccine at different sites over several days.”
- Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla emphasized via Twitter on Thursday stating that the company does not have any production problems with their Covid-19 vaccine. No shipments carrying the vaccine are paused or limited.
“This week, we successfully shipped all 2.9 million doses that we were asked to ship by the U.S. Government to the locations specified by them,” an official Pfizer declaration read. “We have millions of more doses sitting in our warehouse, yet, as of now, we have not received any shipment instructions for additional doses.”
- This uncertainty seems to have started Wednesday during an announcement stated by Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed. He stated that some 2 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine would be distributed next week, which is 900,000 fewer doses than this week.
- Alex Azar, Health and Human Services Secretary, expressed Pfizer was battling with some production difficulties. “As you know, they ended up coming short by half of what they thought they’d be able to produce, and what they’d announced they’d be able to produce in 2020”, he mentioned.
- In addition to the confusion overdose distribution, some 39,000 Pfizer shots secured for Alabama and California were returned to the manufacturer because they had been deposited in a colder environment than the minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit which Pfizer recommends, Perna mentioned Wednesday.
Pfizer’s vaccine was the first to receive emergency permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Unlike other vaccine originators, Pfizer did not accept any federal funds for research or development from Operation Warp Speed.
