DOH: Pfizer vaccine doses close to expiry date used amid shelf life extension

The government was able to make use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses close to expiry date after its shelf life was extended for another three months, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

At a media briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Pfizer submitted to the DOH and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data that the vaccine’s shelf life can be extended from six months to nine months.

“So we were able to use up some of the Pfizer doses na meron tayo na set to expire, na-extend ng three months,” she said.

Vergeire said the agency is hoping other vaccine manufacturers would follow suit.

“And that’s what we are expecting also, tinitignan, if the other vaccine manufacturers also can follow suit and apply with FDA, as well, based from their studies if their shelf life for the specific vaccines can also be extended,” she said.

Meanwhile, Vergeire said that 14,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that are near expiry date in Negros Occidental have been stored “with defined storage guidelines” while the agency is coordinating with manufacturers.

“Katulad ng sabi nga ng National Vaccine Operation Cluster, kinakausap kung magkakaroon din sila ng extension ng shelf life for these vaccines para magamit pa rin po even after this expiring date,” she said.

(Like what NVOC said, we are talking with them if they will have an extension for the shelf life of these vaccines.)

Vergeire said some of the local governments in the region did not accept the vaccine in fear that they would be ineffective while others had vaccine preferences.

“Pag binigyan namin kayo, hindi ho kami magbibigay ng bakuna na expired na. Ang binigay sa inyo near expiring, which still can be used,” she said.

(If we give you vaccines, we will not give anything that has expired. What we gave you was near expiring, which can still be used.)

“Pangalawa, ‘yun pong mga supplies natin ng bakuna ngayon, kung ano ang ma-deliver sa inyong lugar sana po tanggapin po natin. Pare-pareho po ang epekto ng mga bakunang meron tayo ngayon,” she added.

(Second of all, I hope the vaccine supplies we deliver will be accepted. The vaccines we have are all effective against COVID-19.)—AOL, GMA News