SA can now keep Pfizer jabs in a bar fridge for a month
24 May 2021
Vaccine roll-out will be easier now that Pfizer confirms the lifespan of its Covid-19 vaccine in a refrigerator is more than six times longer than first estimated . (Photo by Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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 the new storage conditions will result in simpler logistics, cheaper equipment and less waste.
In a circular issued on 21 May, the health department instructed vaccination sites to follow the new guidelines with immediate effect — also with regards to batches that have already been distributed.