On May 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration extended the time that Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine can be stored in the refrigerator.
The vaccine, which people get in two doses, still needs to be shipped frozen at ultra-cold temperatures in the companies’ special thermal shipping container. Doses can be kept frozen in these containers for up to 30 days as long as dry ice is used to maintain temperatures of around -70°C (-94°F). Once thawed, the vaccine doses can now be kept in a refrigerator for up to one month. Previously, the emergency use authorization issued by the FDA only allowed the vaccine to be stored, thawed, in a refrigerator for five days.
