--- title: "The US Seems to Have Way More Vaccine Doses Than It Thought" description: "The US might have far more doses of Pfizer's vaccine than initially thought thanks to the manufacturer overfilling vials to insure against spills." date: "2020-12-17" modified: "2020-12-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/us-more-pfizer-vaccine-doses" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "vaccine" - "vaccines" --- # The US Seems to Have Way More Vaccine Doses Than It Thought ![The US might have far more doses of Pfizer's vaccine than initially thought thanks to the manufacturer overfilling vials to insure against spills.]() *\Image: U.S. Secretary of Defense\* The world is gearing up for the biggest vaccination campaign in history. As the first frontline workers and senior citizens are getting their COVID-19 shots, there's more good news: the US might have far more doses of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine than initially thought. Health officials found that vials of the vaccine technically had enough of the precious liquid for not just five, but a sixth or even seventh dose as well, as [*Politico* reports](), depending on the type of syringes used. The Food and Drug Administration confirmed on Wednesday that those extra doses could indeed be used. "Given the public health emergency, FDA is advising that it is acceptable to use every full dose obtainable," an FDA spokesperson told *Politico*. Initial reports over the summer suggested that the US would be in short supply of Pfizer's vaccine, the first inoculation to be approved by the FDA for emergency use earlier this month. A [*New York Times* report]() also found that when Pfizer offered the U.S. government the chance to purchase additional doses of its experimental vaccine, [president Donald Trump turned down the opportunity](). The US is now negotiating to get more vaccines by June 2021. For now, Pfizer will be supplying enough doses for 50 million people over the next few months. Manufacturers including Pfizer tend to overfill each vial of the vaccines to make sure there's enough in case of a spill, according to *Politico*. Before the FDA announced its new guidelines about the extra doses, pharmacists were reportedly throwing away hundreds of extra doses since people started receiving shots on Monday. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()