The FDA on May 19 allowed Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to be stored in ordinary refrigerators for up to a month after it has been thawed.
The decision will help transport the vaccine to more places lacking ultracold storage equipment, as the vaccine must be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit before it is thawed. Before the new guidance, thawed Pfizer vaccines were allowed to be stored in ordinary refrigerators (35 degrees to 46 degrees) for only five days.
The FDA's decision is based on data Pfizer submitted showing undiluted, thawed vials of its vaccine are stable at ordinary refrigerator temperatures for up to a month.
"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," Peter Marks, MD, PhD, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in statement.