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Expired vaccines have 6-month extended shelf life, Galvez says

Secretary Carlito Galvez, National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar, in Bacolod City on Thursday.* Richard Malihan photo

The shelf life of expired COVID-19 vaccines can be extended for another six months, Secretary Carlito Galvez, National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar, said Thursday, February 4.

That was the assurance Galvez gave Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson during a meeting with provincial government officials Thursday at the Capitol in Bacolod City, also attended by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Secretary Vivencio Dizon, NTF deputy chief implementer and testing czar.

Lacson said he asked them if the provincial government could refuse accepting COVID-19 vaccines that were near expiration.

That is when Galvez informed them that the shelf life of expired vaccines could be extended up to six months, he said.

Had we known that before then we would have been able to use about to expire vaccines, Lacson said.

The Negros Occidental provincial government did not use 14,620 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines that expired on November 30.

Lacson said he will have to check if the vaccines were returned to the Department of Health.

Shelf life is the length of time that a vaccine may be stored without becoming unfit for use or consumption.*

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