Coronavirus
Pharmacists Say ‘Pooling’ Coronavirus Vaccines Could Get Thousands of More People Vaccinated
As millions of people across the country line up for their coronavirus vaccination shots, health officials are struggling to meet the surging demand, the result of short supplies.
“It’s more valuable than liquid gold, truth be told,” said Melanie Massiah-White, chief pharmacy officer for Inova Health System, a nonprofit hospital network based in Northern Virginia.
Some pharmacists say a simple solution could get thousands of more people vaccinated each week, but the Food and Drug Administration is standing in the way.
It’s called “pooling” — and it’s not a new concept. Pharmacists have been doing it for years with everything from flu vaccines to some chemotherapy medications to antibiotics. It involves taking what’s leftover in a drug vial and combining it with what’s left in another vial to create a full dose.
