(Corrects BioNtech spokesperson, not Pfizer, paragraphs 4-5)
FRANKFURT, 27 dec. (Reuters) – German coronavirus vaccination campaign was delayed in several cities on Sunday after temperature monitors showed that about 1,000 photos taken by BioNTech and Pfizer may not have been kept cold enough in transit time.
“When reading the temperature records that were closed in cold boxes, doubts arose as to compliance with the requirements of the cold chain,” the Lichtenfels district in northern Germany, Bavaria, said in a statement.
Medical staff found that the temperature in a cold box for transporting the vaccine had risen to 15 degrees Celsius, a Lichtenfels spokesman said, above the maximum of 8C set by the manufacturers. He added that his district has not yet received advice from BioNtech on how to proceed.
BioNtech said in a statement that it is responsible for transport to the 25 German distribution centers and that federal states and local authorities are responsible for transport to vaccination centers and mobile vaccination teams.
“Temperature variations have occurred here. We are in contact with many authorities to offer advice, but it depends on them how to proceed “, said a spokesperson of BioNTech.
In a December presentation, BioNtech said that once removed from the freezer, the vaccine can be stored for up to five days at 2-8C and up to two hours at temperatures up to 30C before use.
The vaccine, which uses the new so-called mRNA technology, must be kept at ultra-low temperatures of about -70 degrees Celsius (-112 ° F) before being shipped to distribution centers in specially designed cold boxes filled with dry ice.
Once out of storage at ultra low temperatures, the vaccine should be kept at 2C to 8C to remain effective for up to five days. The cool boxes designed by Pfizer are equipped with GPS trackers, so that companies can deal with potential storage problems along the way.
A Lichtenfels spokesman said 1,000 photos had been affected by the temperature and that the city and districts of Coburg, Kronach, Kulmbach, Hof, Bayreuth and Wunsiedel in northern Bavaria were waiting to hear from BioNTech if the vaccine could still be used.
“Coronavirus vaccination does not mean who gets vaccinated the fastest or who gets the most doses. Safety and conscientious work for the benefit of the people have the highest priority, “said Oliver Baer, Hof district administrator.
The European Union on Sunday launched a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with retirees and doctors lining up to get their first blows to see a pandemic that has affected economies and claimed more than 1.7 million lives worldwide.
Delays in Germany highlight the challenge in launching the vaccine, while regulators are examining other photos for approval, including those taken by Moderna and AstraZeneca, which are easier to transport and store.
The launch of the Pfizer vaccine in the United States has been slow, calling into question the government’s target of 20 million vaccinations this month, as hospitals have sailed in preparing previously frozen photos for use, finding staff to run clinics and ensuring adequate social distancing. . .
In Germany, similar temperature problems also delayed the start of the vaccination campaign in the southern Bavarian districts of Augsburg and Dillingen, where staff eventually obtained permission from BioNTech to use the photographs.
Germany’s vaccination campaign officially began on Sunday, with residents of nursing homes being inoculated. The federal government plans to distribute more than 1.3 million doses to local health authorities by the end of this year and about 700,000 a week since January. (Additional reporting by Josephine Mason; Editing by David Clarke and Nick Macfie)