Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ultra-Cold Storage Of Pfizer Vaccine No Longer Required By FDA
Reuters: FDA Allows Storage, Transport Of Pfizer Vaccine At Higher Temperatures
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved storage and transportation of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE at standard freezer temperatures for up to two weeks instead of ultra-cold conditions. Last week, the companies had asked the U.S. health regulator to relax requirements for their COVID-19 vaccine to be stored at ultra-low temperatures, potentially allowing it to be kept in pharmacy freezers. (2/25)
Forbes: Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine Doesn’t Need Ultra-Cold Storage, FDA Says
It’s not uncommon for vaccines to need refrigeration, but Pfizer initially thought its drug needed especially frigid storage to stay potent, posing a challenge for distributors and local health officials. Ultra-cold freezers are pricey, making them out of reach for many rural hospitals and resource-strapped medical clinics, and the sudden demand for those specialized freezers sparked a worldwide rush to buy them. (Walsh, 2/25)
The Washington Examiner: FDA Greenlights Pfizer Vaccine To Be Stored At Normal Freezer Temperatures, Instead Of Ultra-Cold
"The alternative temperature for transportation and storage will help ease the burden of procuring ultra-low cold storage equipment for vaccination sites and should help to get vaccine to more sites," Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. (Soellner, 2/25)
Time: FDA: Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Doesn’t Need Ultra-Cold Storage
When Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine became the first authorized for use in the U.S., the good news came with a catch: the vaccine, the first of its kind using a new mRNA-based technology, needs to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures (-80°C to -60°C) until thawing just before being injected into people’s arms. State health centers, hospitals and other potential vaccination sites scrambled to acquire special freezers that could reach these deep-freeze temperatures, and Pfizer developed a special shipping container that could keep doses appropriately chilled for up to a month as long as the container was continuously supplied with dry ice. Still, the temperature requirement meant some locations opted not to order the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (Park, 2/26)
