WASHINGTON – The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine can be stored at refrigerator temperatures for up to a month in the United States, the country’s health regulator announced yesterday, in a change expected to help distribution of the jab.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it has made the decision “based on a review of recent data submitted by Pfizer”, and will allow vials of the vaccine to be stored at refrigerator temperatures of between 2°C and 8°C for up to one month.
The vials were previously allowed to be kept at such temperatures for only five days.
“This change should make this vaccine more widely available to the American public by facilitating the ability of vaccine providers, such as community doctors’ offices, to receive, store and administer the vaccine,” said Peter Marks, director of FDA’s Centre for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
On Monday, the European Medicines Agency also approved the storage of the Pfizer vaccine in fridges for up to a month.
FDA had already relaxed conditions for the vaccine’s storage in February, allowing it to be kept “at conventional temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for a period of up to two weeks” rather than ultra-low freezer temperature of -80°C to -60°C. – AFP, May 20, 2021
