New data confirm the lifespan of a Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in a bar fridge is 31 days, not five as originally estimated.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has approved changes to the storage conditions for the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, allowing it to be stored in a refrigerator for a month. This extends the shelf life of the doses six-fold – from five to 31 days – and will help to speed up the country’s vaccine roll-out because it means simpler logistics, cheaper equipment and less waste.
In a circular issued on 21 May, the Health Department instructed vaccination sites to follow the new guidance with immediate effect, also with regards to batches that have already been distributed.
The updated storage conditions follow similar approvals last week by the European and American regulatory bodies – the European Medicines Authority (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration – based on new data provided by Pfizer.
South Africa has received four batches of Pfizer vaccines so far, bringing the number of doses to about 1.3 million (each person requires two shots), according to the Health Department’s delivery schedule. The country will receive an additional 636,480 doses each Sunday night in June,…