The US Food and Drug Administration authorized an extension of the shelf life of Johnson & Johnson s Covid-19 vaccine, the company said in a statement Thursday.
The move increases the refrigerated storage time for the vaccine from 3 months to 4 1/2 months, and comes as some states said currently available doses were set to expire at the end of this month, potentially before being used. The decision is based on data from ongoing stability assessment studies, which have demonstrated that the vaccine is stable at 4.5 months when refrigerated at temperatures of 36-46 degrees Fahrenheit, Johnson & Johnson said in a statement.
Dr. Mark McClellan, a former FDA commissioner and current Johnson & Johnson board member, told CNN s Poppy Harlow on Thursday it s not known how long the company s vaccines can last when stored.
The US Food and Drug Administration authorized an extension of the shelf life of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine, the company said in a statement Thursd.