Experts have raised concerns that vaccine suppliers may mix Omicron booster vials with vials used for conventional vaccines.
Those concerns emerged last week at a public meeting of CDC advisers and were echoed on Saturday by a panel of health experts in four states, including California, according to the Western States Scientific Security Review Task Force.
“Given that the formulations for different age groups seem similar, the task force remains concerned that errors may have occurred in the delivery of different COVID-19 vaccines,” the organization said in a statement. “Pure COVID-19 should be distributed to the population.” . all vaccine providers.-19 Vaccination Guidelines.
The new vaccine is called bivalent. They are designed to protect not only against the original coronavirus strain, but also against BA.5 and another Omicron sub-variant called BA.4. New boosters are only licensed to persons over 12 years of age.
Conventional shots are monovalent vaccines designed to protect only against the original coronavirus strain.
Potential confusion has to do with the color of the bottle cap. Some new booster needles have caps that are the same color as the old needles.
For example, conventional and newer Pfizer bivalent injections for people aged 12 years and older are inserted into a bottle cap that is the same color—grey, according to slides from a CDC presentation to scientific advisors last week. Clinicians should read labels to distinguish regular vaccines from newer boosters.
Both vials contained the same amount of vaccine – 30 micrograms – but the traditional vaccine was developed only against the original coronavirus strain, while the updated booster vaccine allocated half for the original strain and the rest for the BA.4/BA.5 Omicron subvariant.
Updated Pfizer booster label to include “Bivalent” and “Original & Omicron BA.4/BA.5″.
One possible source of confusion with the Moderna vaccine is that the bottle caps for both the traditional primary vaccine for children ages 6 to 11 and the new booster vaccine for adults are dark blue.
Both vials contain the same dose of vaccine – 50 mcg. But all primary doses of the children’s version are calculated on the original strain of coronavirus. Half of the Adult Renewal Booster is for the original strain and the rest is for the BA.4/BA.5 sub-variant.
The label of the updated Omicron booster says “Bivalent” and “Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5″.
Vaccine suppliers must take care to make sure they are giving the right vaccine to the right person.
At a press briefing on Tuesday, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said FDA scientists are working to ensure vaccine providers properly train staff so “people can get the right vaccine.”
“We have not seen any evidence that there was a large-scale error or that people were receiving the wrong vaccine. I am confident that the system will continue to operate effectively, but I know the FDA will continue to monitor this closely.” Jah said.
CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said her agency is actively working to distribute cap photos and educate vaccine administrators “to minimize confusion.”
Rong-Gong Lin II is a San Francisco-based Metro reporter specializing in earthquake safety and the statewide COVID-19 pandemic. The Bay Area native graduated from UC Berkeley and joined the Los Angeles Times in 2004.
Luc Money is a Metro reporter covering breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. Previously, he was a reporter and assistant city editor for the Orange County Times Daily Pilot, a public news outlet, and prior to that he wrote for the Santa Clarita Valley Signal. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Arizona.
Post time: Jan-29-2023