SINGAPORE – Singapore has approved a new storage condition for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at refrigerator temperature of 2°C to 8°C for up to 31 days.
The new storage condition was approved last Thursday, after a thorough review of an application and supplemental data submitted by Pfizer.
“The newly approved extended storage condition at refrigerator temperature for up to 31 days is a significant improvement over the existing storage conditions,” said chief executive officer of the republic's Health Sciences Authority (HSA), Dr Mimi Choong May Ling, in a statement today.
The new storage condition will greatly facilitate the transportation and local distribution of the doses to vaccination centres, as well as their storage and use at the centres, she said.
HSA has determined that the thawed, undiluted Covid‐19 vaccine remains stable when stored at standard refrigerator temperatures, with long-term storage of the vaccine remaining at -70°C.
During initial authorisation of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 14, last year, HSA had approved its long-term storage at -70°C and temporary storage after thawing at 2°C to 8°C for up to five days.
On February 25, the HSA had authorised a change to indicate that the vaccine can be stored at standard freezer temperature of -20°C for up to two weeks. – Bernama, May 25, 2021
