The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine no longer needs to be kept at ultra-freezing temperatures and can be stored safely in normal medical freezers, making distribution easier, the firm said in a report on Friday.
The manufacturers of the shots, including the German biotechnology firm BioNTech, have discovered that doses can stay between 5 and -13 degrees Fahrenheit without spoiling – instead of -94 degrees as previously thought, according to the Financial Times.
BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin says the ability to store the life-saving stings at higher temperatures gives the vaccine distribution centers ‘greater flexibility’ and makes it ‘easier to transport and use’.
The newspaper reports that the new stability data of the vaccine released by the companies has now been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration.
Pfizer’s groundbreaking 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 spread after due to the storage temperature of less than zero.
Businesses involved in sending the shots have since also complained that the government has not taken into account the challenges of delivering the last mile.
The need to store and transport the vaccine at ultra-freezing temperatures has slowed its rollout, especially in remote areas without so-called “cold chain” infrastructure.