Biontech is in great demand - but vaccine ampoules from Moderna and Johnson often end up in the trash

Created: 01/14/2022, 23:07

The Biontech vaccine is very popular - also in Nuremberg.

However, this means that funds from other manufacturers often have to be thrown away.

© Matthias Bein/dpa

Vaccines from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are also thrown away in the Nuremberg vaccination center.

The reason: Biontech is more popular and has a limited shelf life.

Nuremberg - Johnson & Johnson?

No thank you!

Moderna, better not!

While these vaccines are rather unpopular with patients, the Corona vaccine from Biontech* is in great demand.

The result: the vaccine doses from Moderna and J & J end up in the garbage more and more often.

This also happened in the Nuremberg vaccination center. 

(By the way: Our Nuremberg newsletter regularly informs you about all the important stories from the Franconian metropolis. Register here.)

Nuremberg: Doctors criticize the ordering process 

Rolf Rabenstein, head of the vaccination coordination office of the city of Nuremberg*, explains the procedure.

If vaccine is left over from the manufacturer Biontech Pfizer, the ampoules go straight from the Nuremberg vaccination center to the family doctor.

There have been around 400 vaccine vials in the past few weeks, Rabenstein explains to

The problem: While the family doctors like to lose Biontech, the vaccination center on Moderna* often stays put.

Because the vaccine is delivered thawed and simply has a limited shelf life - a maximum of two weeks.

Vaccines from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson * therefore have to be disposed of again and again. 

This problem is the family doctor Dr.

Tilman Gothner from Lonnerstadt in the district of Neustadt an der Aisch-Bad Windsheim* is all too well known.

It is often the case that the vaccine is delivered to the practice and then has to be vaccinated within just two weeks - a logistical achievement that the practice team can hardly handle. 

The high demand for Biontech is also a big problem.

The doctor would like to be able to order at short notice in this area.

"We always have to see how many vaccinees we have, how many interested parties and then we make appointments.

The patients want to be able to plan, but this is not possible because we have to check week by week how much is actually delivered," the doctor tells

. 

Nuremberg: General Practitioners Association is annoyed by the distribution key

Vaccine vials that end up in the trash are nothing new.

"It's a shame and makes us sad that many believe that Moderna is an inferior vaccine, which in fact is not the case," said Gothner.

dr

Markus Beier from Erlangen*, Chairman of the Bavarian Association of General Practitioners, is also annoyed about the distribution of the vaccine.

"The distribution key is very problematic for doctors in private practice, because only the smallest quantities of Biontech are delivered there and vaccination centers and medical care centers can order many times over.

As a general practitioners' association, we have been complaining about this injustice for months.”