Italy Plans to Destroy Millions of COVID-19 Vaccines as Expiry Dates Loom
In Italy, authorities are preparing to discard at least 15 million coronavirus vaccine doses. The reports attribute this move to two main factors: the vaccines reaching their shelf life by the end of the year and a perception that some formulations are outdated, according to the publication Repubblica. The story notes that this would come even as pharmaceutical companies aim to roll out updated vaccine versions by the upcoming fall season, signaling a shift in the country’s immunization strategy. [La Repubblica]
Industry sources quoted by Repubblica indicate that the goal is to replace older stock with newer formulations designed to address evolving viral variants. Analysts point to the need for vaccines that better match circulating strains, as the pandemic adapts to the viral landscape. The overall picture is one of a careful inventory management approach that balances public health needs with vaccine efficacy across evolving sublines. [La Repubblica]
Marco Cavaleri, who heads the European Medicines Agency module focused on health hazards and vaccination strategy, has highlighted a push for vaccines targeting new subspecies of the omicron variant. He noted that the EMA is encouraging development focused on strains that have been circulating actively in China in recent months and are expected to appear elsewhere, including Europe, in the near term. The emphasis is on preparing countermeasures that can confront these shifts in the virus’s behavior. [La Repubblica]
Cavaleri also drew attention to the preference for monovalent vaccines rather than bivalent ones. The rationale suggested is a strategic move to streamline protection against the most current strains rather than attempting to cover multiple variants simultaneously. This stance reflects a broader regulatory assessment of how vaccines can most effectively adapt to a changing virus while maintaining clear, scalable vaccination programs. [La Repubblica]
The report from Repubblica adds that daily deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines into Italy have become quite limited, with only a few hundred doses arriving each day. The timing of new vaccine versions, the regulatory emphasis on variant-specific formulations, and the practical realities of supply all intersect to shape Italy’s ongoing vaccination plan. The broader European context shows a similar focus on updating vaccines to reflect the latest epidemiological data and to ensure jurisdictions can respond quickly if newer variants surge. [La Repubblica]