The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine no longer needs to be stored at ultra-freezing temperatures and can be safely stored in normal medical freezers – making distribution easier, the company said in a report on Friday.
The makers of the shots, including German biotechnology company BioNTech, have found that the doses can stay between 5 and -13 degrees Fahrenheit without spoiling – instead of -94 degrees as previously thought, according to the Financial Times.
The ability to store the lifesaving shots at higher temperatures gives vaccine distribution centers “more flexibility” and makes them “easier to transport and use” in rural or hard-to-reach areas, said BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin.
The new “stability data” of the vaccine disclosed by the companies has now been filed with the US Food and Drug Administration, the paper reported.
Pfizer’s breakthrough vaccine was the first to be approved in the US and Europe last year. But in November, experts warned that the vaccine could become a logistical nightmare to distribute due to freezing storage temperatures.
Companies involved in shipping the shots have since also complained that the government failed to take into account the temperature-related challenges of “last mile” delivery.
The need to store and transport the vaccine at ultra-freezing temperatures has delayed its introduction, especially in remote areas without so-called “cold chain” infrastructure.