Thread by @miamalan

🧵1. BREAKING: @SAHPRA1 has approved a 3-month extension of the expiry dates of #Pfizer #COVID19 shots when stored at -70 °C. @HealthZA says it's stored the 92,370 jabs that originally expired on March 31 at -70°C, so they'll now only expire on June 30th and can still be used.

2. Why are there new expiry dates?

#COVID19 jabs have only been around for +/- 1.5 years. Manufacturers can only test if they stay stable 4 extended periods of time as the time moves on. They've now established that Pfizer jabs can be kept at -70°C for 12 (instead of 9) months

3. How many #COVID19 #Pfizer jabs does SA have left?
@healthza says on May 9:
10,593,060 doses

When do these jabs expire? (next tweet)

4. Original and new expiry dates of #Pfizer jabs:
31 March: 92,370 (New: 30 June)
30 June: 5,669,130 (New: 30 Sep)
31 July: 4,831,560 (New: 31 Oct)

5. Will we still have unused #Pfizer #COVID19 jabs left after Oct 31 that would need to be destroyed?

Most likely, YES, at the current rate of use. But fewer of them than with the original expiry dates.

On May 9 we used 36,254 #Pfizer doses.

6. What about the expiry dates of #Pfizer #COVID19 jabs when they're stored at -20 °C (normal freezer temp) or between 2 - 8°C (normal fridge temp)?

These expiry dates = unaffected by the 3-month extension, they stay the same:
-20 °C: 2 weeks
2 and 8°C: 31 days (thawed vials)