The expiration date of the 124001, 123002, 126001 and 123001 batches was extended from November 30, 2021 to February 28, 2022.

The 128002, 129001, PCA0006 and PCA0017 batches can remain in use until March 31, 2022, instead of December 31, 2021.

Earlier, two batches of over 2.9 million Pfizer doses also had their shelf life extended by three months.

In a dispatch sent to the centers for disease control (CDC) of cities and provinces nationwide on December 13, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology asked the CDCs to inform Covid-19 vaccination sites about the expiration extension. It also requested medical workers to explain the expiration extension to residents to prevent any misunderstanding. 

According to Dr. Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine, based on a request by Pfizer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on August 22 approved the extension of the Pfizer vaccine shelf life from six to nine months.

The European Medicines Agency made the same decision on September 10. The expiration extension will cause no changes to the vaccine, so its efficacy and safety will be maintained.

According to Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, Vietnam extended the shelf life of the vaccine batches based on international practice. The vaccines sent to Vietnam have been reviewed in line with the requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure quality.

Bao An