The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to extend the storage period of a new coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer, a major American pharmaceutical company, from the current five days to one month.
The new coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech of Germany is said to have to be kept at around minus 75 degrees Celsius in a special freezer for long-term storage.
It can be stored refrigerated at 2 to 8 degrees for up to 5 days, the Moderna vaccine, which is also approved in Japan, for 30 days, and the AstraZeneca vaccine for 6 months.
Under these circumstances, Pfizer and others have newly compiled data that it can be stored at 2 to 8 degrees for up to 1 month, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has also decided to allow the extension of the storage period.
Even a general refrigerator can be refrigerated at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, making it easier for local governments and medical institutions to store and manage.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare plans to revise the handling documents on the 31st of this month, and the EU = European Union and FDA = US Food and Drug Administration are also revising the handling rules this month.