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Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine can be stored in refrigerator for a month, U.S. says

20 May 2021 07:07 (UTC +04:00)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized storage of Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine at standard freezer temperatures for up to one month, in an effort to make the vaccine more widely available, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Unopened, thawed vials of the vaccine can be stored in a refrigerator at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for up to a month, up from a previous maximum limit of 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 Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

The change is especially important for global and remote U.S. facilities that have poor transport and storage infrastructure.