HSA approves Pfizer COVID vaccine storage in fridge for up to 31 days
SINGAPORE — The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can now be stored at refrigerator temperature for up to 31 days, following approval from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
"This will greatly facilitate the transportation and local distribution of this vaccine to vaccination centres, as well as their storage and use at the centres," said HSA. The approval last Thursday (20 May) came after HSA conducted a "thorough review" of the application and supplemental data submitted by Pfizer.
The agency, which serves as the national regulator for health products, determined that the thawed, undiluted COVID‐19 vaccine remains stable when stored at standard refrigerator temperatures (2 to 8 degrees Celsius) for 31 days.
The long-term storage of the vaccine remains at minus 70 degrees Celsius.
Last December, HSA approved the Pfizer vaccine's long-term storage at minus 70 degrees Celsius, and temporary storage after thawing at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius for up to five days.
On 25 February this year, HSA authorised the vaccine's storage at standard freezer temperature (minus 20 degrees Celsius) for up to two weeks.
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