EU Regulator Backs Pfizer Vaccine Storage At Regular Freezer Temperature

The EU regulator said in a statement it had "given a positive opinion to allow transportation and storage of vials of this vaccine at temperatures between -25 to -15 degrees Celsius (-13 to 5 Fahrenheit)... for a one-off period of two weeks."

Vials of Pfizer/BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine can be kept at normal freezer temperatures for short periods instead of in ultra-cold storage, the EU's drugs regulator said Friday. The change would help the "rapid roll-out" of vaccines across Europe, where vaccination campaigns are stalling due to supply and logistical issues, the European Medicines Agency said in a statement. The EU regulator had "given a positive opinion to allow transportation and storage of vials of this vaccine at temperatures between -25 to -15 degrees Celsius (-13 to 5 Fahrenheit)... for a one-off period of two weeks." The EMA said this was the "temperature of standard pharmaceutical freezers"