The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the State-owned Central Drugs Standard Control Organization will make its final decision on Monday about Bharat Biotech’s paediatric Covid-19 vaccine meant for kids above the age of two. However, just like the age-group, the vaccine also something new.
Unlike the Covaxin for adults and other Covid-19 vaccines currently being administered that are available in multi-dose vials, the paediatric Covaxin will use a pre-filled syringe or PFS mechanism. Pre-filled syringes are known to have a high-level accuracy, which makes them safer to use.
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News18 explains to you the difference between pre-filled syringes (PFS) and multi-dose vials that were administered to adults in India.
Are pre-filled syringes better? Top 3 reasons
– The use of PFSs for vaccine doses offers many advantages like reducing or eliminating vaccine waste. PFS packaging can help ensure doses purchased are administered. PFSs remove the variation inherent in drawing from a multi-dose vial, where the yield obtained may be fewer than 10 doses per vial. According to a report by NBC News, pharmacies and state governments in the United States have thrown away at least 1.51 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines since March 1.
– It increases administrative consistency. Some clinicians are more adept than others at drawing from vials in terms of time and dose yield per vial, resulting in variation. By removing the need to draw at all, prefills allow for consistency in administration across all locations and clinicians.
– Experts opine that it improves efficiency. Because prefills do not need to be drawn up, the amount of time required to prepare is decreased. Studies support that when PFSs save between 37 and 43 seconds per dose in preparation time.
So why has India been using multi-dose vials till date? Top 3 reasons
– Lesser time for manufacture. Covid-19 vaccines were distributed in multi-dose vials because of the need to manufacture them quickly in the early months of the country’s inoculation campaign.
– The limitations of PFS are in terms of large storage space in cold chain maintenance and slightly high cost per dose. Use of MDV is cheaper.
– Indian public distribution of vaccines still uses vials. Therefore, in the wake of the pandemic, training and adapting to a new form of inoculation would have taken further time during a national emergency.
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