The COVID-19 vaccine is being administered through vaccination clinics in the Miami Valley to more and more people every day.
But what happens if there are any left-over doses of the vaccine? News Center 7 talked to state health officials who said they are working to avoid wasting doses.
There is a limited supply when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine, and it brings with it a potentially lifesaving shot and state and local health leaders want to make sure every single does is used.
Dan Suffoletto, Public Information Supervisor with Public Health – Dayton and Montgomery County said, “We have a numbering system when people come in.”
Suffoletto said they keep a tight count on the number of people waiting in line to get the vaccine at the vaccination clinics that Public Health offers.
“We may have anywhere between 8 and 12 different vaccination stations, depending on the day. As the evening goes down and the number of people go down in line, and the number of appointments go down, we will close off those lines so we end up with just one or two lines left. Then we can count those doses left and match them up with the number of people who are available”
But, at the end of the day, they sometimes have extra doses available.
Suffoletto said, “If we have a couple of vaccines that are still unaccounted for at that point, we will use the workers and volunteers who are working the clinic and administer the vaccine to them.”
A spokesperson from the Ohio Department of Health told News Center 7 that their department has sent out guidance to providers to make sure all COVID-19 vaccines are used before they expire.
The state said if providers have any extra doses, they must first try to give them to someone in the 1A or 1B priority group and if that is not possible, they should find someone who wants the vaccine and is eligible under the FDA Emergency Use Authorization, which states the vaccine is allowed for older teens and adults.
ODH said if more than 20 doses are at risk of being wasted, then providers should call them to discuss options, such as transferring the vaccine to another provider.
Cox Media Group
