Bharat Biotech has announced that opened vials of Covaxin, the vaccine which helps fight coronavirus infections, can be stored for up to 28 days in temperatures ranging from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. There is no need to discard them immediately within a day or after the immunization session is complete. It also stated that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recently approved of extending Covaxin’s shelf life to 12 months from the manufacture date. 

Vaccine wastage has been a major issue for the companies and health authorities, since there has always been some disparity between demand and supply rates. Thus, this latest announcement could possibly resolve the issue of wastage, especially for the vials nearing their expiry dates. As per the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) as well as the WHO Emergency Use Listing, Covaxin has been approved for a multi dose policy concerning its vials. The policy has been okayed for a 28 day span.

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Addressing this recent development, Bharat Biotech issued a statement, saying “This approval of shelf life is based on the availability of additional stability data, which was submitted to CSCO. Most importantly, we believe in being environmentally friendly by reducing the quantum of packing materials and single-use plastics that are utilized in vaccines manufacturing, storage, distribution, and disposal.” 

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This move is also expected to cut down procurement costs and the overall carbon footprint. Not only does it help managing the sourcing of vaccines, but eases the pressure on cold chain logistics too. 

In other news, Bharat Biotech has also submitted its application to the DGCI for conducting a phase three testing. The clinical trial will be for a booster dose to its intranasal COVID vaccine. With India’s rising number of omircon cases, the news arrives in a timely manner. Desperate citizens are currently taking illegal booster shots or vaccine cocktails, hoping to fight the new variant.