Authorities issued a word of warning, saying a large number of these trusted sanitizers may less equipped for the job than you think.
Before getting your Covid or flu vaccine this fall—or any shot, for that matter—your healthcare provider will usually wipe the surrounding area on your skin with an alcohol prep pad. This small but important step helps kill germs, reducing the risk of infection—the very same antiseptic mechanism that makes these pads effective in cleaning minor cuts, disinfecting small surfaces, and more. But a recently updated recall alert from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicates that some commonly used disinfecting products may not have been as effective as promised.
According to an October 21 report from the FDA, 222,800 Medline Alcohol Prep Pads—a brand of single-use, two-ply, sterile pads—have been recalled nationwide. Though the products are labeled as 70% alcohol, the FDA reports the recalling reason as “subpotent drug,” suggesting the sterile pads may have been less antiseptic abilities than their labeling suggests. Because this puts them under an important threshold of efficacy, the incident was labeled Class II, implying use could cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, rubbing alcohol products are often sold in concentrations ranging from 50% to 90% isopropyl alcohol, but 70% can kill “many bacteria, viruses and fungi,” making it ideal for most everyday uses. Adds family medicine doctor, Sarah Pickering Beers, MD: “Lower concentrations aren’t as good at killing germs. But very high concentrations can be harsher when used on the skin. The 70% variety tends to be a good choice for most household uses.”
The affected items, manufactured by Medline Industries in Northfield, Illinois, can be spotted with the following information:
- Packaging: 100 pads per box, 10 boxes per case
- NDC (National Drug Code): 55329-811-30
- Lot #: 61224040057
- Item #: D-0035-2026
Though the report doesn’t list any specific retailers associated with the recall, the Medline website says their products are sold by a number of popular retailers, including Walmart, Target, Costco, Walgreens, CVS, and Amazon.
Just last month, two additional isopropyl alcohol products—alcohol prep pads and bottles of rubbing alcohol—were also recalled amid manufacturing and contamination concerns.
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