The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has approved changes to the storage conditions for the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, allowing it to be stored in a refrigerator for a month. 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 it means simpler logistics, cheaper equipment and less waste. In a circular issued on 21 May, the Health Department instructed vaccination sites to follow the new guidance with immediate effect, also with regards to batches that have already been distributed. The updated storage conditions follow similar approvals last week by the European and American regulatory bodies – the European Medicines Authority (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration – based on new data provided by Pfizer.