A medical worker wearing a protective mask fills a syringe with a dose of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a large-scale vaccination site in Sacramento, California, February 4, 2021.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
As Covid-19 vaccination efforts begin at large retailers and pharmacies, such as CVS and Walgreens, what to do with the excess vaccine becomes a bigger question.
Both versions of the vaccine should be kept at very low temperatures. After thawing, the vaccine should be given within a few hours. In addition, vaccine vials contain multiple doses.
The companies told The Wall Street Journal that they intend to use waiting lists and will consider vaccinating employees who are eligible when excess supplies are available. The aim is to avoid wasting any doses, which continue to be insufficient.
As of Thursday, vaccine doses are being sent to thousands of pharmacies and grocery stores, such as CVS and Walmart, in the US.
Companies schedule appointments based on the amount of vaccine they receive at each location, but may be left with a surplus of vaccine if customers do not show up for an appointment or if a vial of vaccine contains more vaccine than anticipated.
Currently, only two vaccines, one from Pfizer-BioNTech and one from Moderna, have received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. Both types require two doses of injection to be effective.
Retailers have to navigate different state and local rules regarding eligibility requirements, as they manage waiting lists and determine what to do with any overdose. In some states, retailers qualify to receive the vaccine, while in other states they are not considered a high priority group unless they are over a certain age or have a specific medical condition.
A Walmart spokeswoman told the newspaper that the retailer addressed buyers or workers who qualified according to the instructions of a state with the possibility of being vaccinated if there was a surplus supply.
Walmart has worked with state health departments on protocols to avoid waste, a Walmart spokesman told CNBC. These protocols allow the administration of overdoses that are open and available to individuals, including employees, who fall into eligible groups in order of priority.
A Walgreens spokesman told CNBC that it will consider employees for the remaining doses and communicate with state and local jurisdictions for doses higher than this.
Meanwhile, CVS pharmacists will keep a list of state-qualified qualified patients and use it to determine who receives the remaining doses of the vaccine, CVS Health senior vice president Chris Cox told CNBC.
Read the full story in The Wall Street Journal.