Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Cold Storage, Production Issues Cause Early Distribution Snags
CNBC: US Officials Had To Return Pfizer Vaccine Doses After They Got Too Cold
U.S. officials said Wednesday they quarantined several thousand doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine in California and Alabama this week after an “anomaly” in the transportation process caused the storage temperature to get too cold. Pfizer’s vaccine, which was developed with German drugmaker BioNTech, requires a storage temperature of around minus 70 degrees Celsius. Vials of the vaccine are stored in trays, which carry a minimum of 975 doses each, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Lovelace Jr., 12/16)
Stat: Pfizer Decision On Vaccine Temperature Sensors Forced Scramble
A last-minute snafu this fall threatened to disrupt the smooth rollout of the first Covid-19 vaccine approved in the United States, according to industry officials. At issue was how to monitor the temperature of the ultra-cold storage containers being used to distribute vials of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. (Goldhill, 12/17)
Reuters: Some Vaccine Doses Kept Too Cold, Pfizer Having Manufacturing Issues, U.S. Officials Say
Pfizer also has reported some production issues, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said. “We will ensure that by whatever mechanism, that we provide them full support to ensure that they can produce for the American people,” Azar said. ... Officials did not outline what the specific manufacturing challenges were. (O'Donnell and Spalding, 12/16)
Clarion-Ledger: COVID-19 Vaccine: Storage A Challenge For Some Hospitals
Dr. Jonathan Wilson, chief administrative officer at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said the temperature requirements for the vaccine caused logistical problems the hospital scrambled to address. Pfizer's vaccine is required to be stored at super cold temperatures and the equipment able to produce that environment is limited. "Those freezers, especially now, everybody in the country wants them and they're kinda hard to find," Wilson said. (Rowe, 12/16)
And the Trump administration continues its effort to increase the supply of vaccines —
AP: US Angling To Secure More Of Pfizer's Coronavirus Vaccine
U.S. officials say they’re actively negotiating for additional purchases of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine after passing up a chance to lock in a contract this summer since it was still unclear how well the shots would work. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and special adviser Dr. Moncef Slaoui also told reporters Wednesday that Pfizer had been unable to commit to a firm delivery date. Azar called that “the core issue.” There was no immediate comment from the company, whose CEO Albert Bourla told CNN this week it is “working very collaboratively” with the government to deliver additional vaccine through the federal Operation Warp Speed. That’s a White House-backed, taxpayer-funded effort to quickly develop coronavirus vaccines and treatments. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/17)
CNN: Supply Issues Hampering Pfizer Providing Additional Vaccine Faster
Vaccine supply constraints are complicating the Trump administration's hopes of striking a deal with Pfizer to purchase another 100 million doses of the company's coronavirus vaccines, the latest hurdle to ramping up vaccine production as the virus rapidly spreads. Officials from the Trump administration and Pfizer confirmed that the two sides are negotiating for the government to purchase the additional doses for distribution between April and June 2021. But the timing has been a sticking point, as the US clamors for delivery as soon as possible while Pfizer juggles global demand. (Kaufman and Murray, 12/16)
Some states say they won't receive as many doses as they expected —
Des Moines Register: Iowa, Other States Will Receive Less COVID-19 Vaccine Than Anticipated In Initial Wave
The Iowa Department of Public Health announced Wednesday evening that Iowa will receive less COVID-19 vaccine in its initial wave than anticipated — as much as 30% less. "We are working to gain confirmation and additional details from our federal partners. It will take us some time to work through next steps and adjust our planning," IDPH spokeswoman Sarah Ekstrand wrote in a Wednesday evening news release. (May Sahouri and Leys, 12/16)
AP: Missouri's 2nd Batch Of Vaccine Smaller Than Anticipated
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday lauded the rollout of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, but it appears the second-week supply will be thousands of doses smaller than anticipated. Missouri received about 51,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week, and vaccinations of frontline health care workers began Monday. The state initially said it would get another 63,675 doses of the Pfizer vaccine next week, as well as 105,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine if that version receives federal clearance. (Salter, 12/16)
The New York Times: Vaccine Distribution Tracker: How Many Doses Can Your State Expect?
The federal government said Wednesday that 5.9 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine — enough to inoculate more than 2.9 million people — had been set aside mainly for states and territories to start protecting medical workers and nursing home residents against the coronavirus. ... Some states have begun to publish data on the Pfizer doses they have received and administered, but there is not yet a consistent method for them to publicly report how many doses they have received and administered. (Ivory, Lee, Schoenfeld Walker and Smith, 12/16)
