On Friday, the Bang Sue Grand Station Central Vaccination Center said its Moderna vaccines against Covid-19 have not expired and have at least two months more shelf life.
The Institute of Dermatology’s Dr. Mingkwan Wichaidit, who is also the vaccination center’s director, addressed the public to allay concerns after false news about expired vaccines filled social media.
A viral post claimed that a person who received a Moderna vaccine at the center was concerned about the jab’s safety and efficacy, as it had supposedly expired in June.
However, Dr. Mingkwan said that the vaccine manufacturer had announced over six months ago that the vaccine’s expiration date would be extended from seven to nine months.
The expiration date adjustment is in line with standard drug analysis requirements. Furthermore, it does not affect the quality of the vaccine or reduce its safety or efficiency, Dr. Mingwan added.
According to the vaccination center’s director, the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved the extended expiration date in January and each batch of vaccine is inspected and tested before it is administered to people.
Dr. Mingkwan, who spoke in front of a group of reporters, also explained that Moderna’s vaccines are kept frozen and tested before they are administered.
Moderna vaccines should be stored at 20-70C below zero and maintained at 2-8C prior to administration.
Current jab batches would expire in August when the shelf life extension ends. The measure also applies to vaccines that were originally due to expire in July and August, meaning they will expire two months after that date.
The center’s Moderna vaccine rollout is set to conclude on August 21, Dr. Mingkwan stated.
Most Moderna injections are allocated by the Department of Communicable Diseases, but others are donated by private hospitals and abroad.
The Bang Sue Grand Station Central Vaccination Center has administered about 6.2 million doses of vaccines since May 24.
In another development, Thailand recorded 1,664 new Covid-19 cases under treatment and 26 new fatalities on Sunday.
