Across the country, some non-healthcare workers are getting their COVID-19 vaccines earlier than expected.
In a scattershot practice, non-priority people are getting vaccinated ahead of schedule when pharmacies have extra doses thawed that must be used.
Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines need to be stored at cold temperatures and used within hours of thawing.
Business Insider reports the phenomenon occurs when vaccine providers must either throw out extra doses when they expire or give them to random people.
In other instances, confusion about the amount of doses per vial and rumors of excess supply have led to mishaps in vaccine allocation.
The US federal government hasn't specified what should be done when there are more thawed doses than eligible recipients.