Prognosis
J&J Shot’s Shelf Life Extended by FDA After Fear of Spoiling
- Move comes as demand for shots eases and doses languish
- Drug giant still awaiting clearance of contract manufacturer
Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg
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Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine can be kept in a refrigerator for four and a half months, extending the shot’s shelf life by 50% as doses languish amid a slowing immunization campaign.
The company said in a statement that the Food and Drug Administration adopted the extension based on study data showing the vaccine is stable when refrigerated at 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit (2.2 to 7.8 degrees Celsius) for four and a half months. The FDA confirmed the adoption in an email.