Delayed Pfizer and AstraZeneca Vaccines: Is Sputnik the Solution?

In the coming weeks, Italy will receive the 20% less than vaccines, compared to what was agreed with the US company Pfizer. This was announced by the extraordinary emergency commissioner Covid-19 in Italy, Dominic Arcuri. Until today theItaly it was the most virtuous country in Europe as for the vaccine plan, with more than 1.331.000 administrations carried out. In addition, the subjects who have already received the second dose are almost 62.000, a real record among the countries ofUe. Arcuri said that what will lead to the delay of vaccines in Italy was a "unilateral decision" by Pfizer. In the face of this theState Attorney it could soon sue the US company for potential harm to the population.

Delayed Pfizer vaccines: a question of ampoules or doses?

Despite Arcuri's words, the company may already have the answer ready. What would be considered a single decision made by Pfizer would be more of a recalculation made by the US company. This would in fact concern the reduction of vials incoming and not doses. In fact, it is possible to extract it from a vial of vaccine 6 doses and not 5, as approved byEMA earlier this month. However, this can only happen if you use "low dead volume syringes”, In which less liquid remains between the needle and syringe after the injection (less than 35 microliters). With standard syringes you can only extract 5 doses, resulting in the waste of many possible vaccines. Considering that Pfizer's contract with the EMA speaks of "doses”And not vials, the company would not be late with the expected delivery. The real problem would therefore concern the special syringes and not the doses.

AstraZeneca and Sputnik V: between announced delays and pending approval

To aggravate the situation is added the delay of AstraZeneca vaccines. The British company has announced that in the first quarter they will be delivered in Europe on 60% less of the foreseen doses. This significant cut would be due to a problem at the company's European manufacturing facility. Italy could therefore only receive 7 million of doses, compared to 16 million expected. Help to solve this problem could come from Russia, with its vaccine Sputnik VU. Preliminary contacts have recently begun between the manufacturing company and the EMA for the launch ofscientific data analysis. If the European drug agency were to declare the vaccine safe and effective, it could also arrive in Italy, as confirmed by the undersecretary for health, Sandra Zampa, to the microphones of Radio Me too. In Europe, theHungary has already decided to adopt it (before the green light of the EMA) e Angela Merkel does not rule out this possibility for the Germany (after the OK of the EMA).

The delay of Pfizer vaccines e AstraZeneca it could therefore be a real one problem for Italy, not only for respecting the schedule of vaccinations, but also because the number of vials intended for regions and the times for administering the second dose of vaccine. What will happen to the vaccine plan in Italy? Will we keep our virtuous leadership in Europe? We have enough low dead volume syringes to extract 6 doses of vaccine or should we still use standard syringes, thus losing valuable doses? Despite the efforts made to date, the road at the moment seems increasingly uphill.