The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can now be shipped and stored at higher temperatures.
The move should help with the vaccine’s distribution and administration — as it was previously required to be kept at extremely frigid temperatures.
Now, freezers commonly found in pharmacies will suffice.
The FDA made the determination after reviewing data provided by Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech that showed their vaccine remains effective when stored at the less-frigid temperatures for up to two weeks.
Vaccination sites ran into logistical issues under the initial temperature requirement of anywhere from minus 112 degrees to minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
They would either have to acquire ultracold freezers, administer the doses quickly before they spoiled, or keep the shipping containers stocked with dry ice.
With Post wires
