COVID-19 Vaccine Storage & Expiry

Recipient age:

6 months – 4 years

Cap Color:

Maroon

Expiry:

18 months after the manufacture date.
Note: The manufacturer date (NOT the expiration date) is printed on the vials. Use Pfizer-BioNTech's expiration date tool at lotexpiry.cvdvaccine.com to determine the vaccine's expiration date.

Long-term storage:

Ultra Cold -90°C to -60°C (-130°F to -76°F)*
Do NOT store at -25°C to -15°C (-13°F to 5°F).

*Cartons of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine multiple dose vials may also arrive at refrigerator temperature 2°C to 8°C. If received at 2°C to 8°C, they should be stored at 2°C to 8°C. Check that the carton has been updated to reflect the 10-week refrigerated expiry date.

Refrigeration storage:

Refrigerated (thawed vials) at 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F) for up to 10 weeks

Room temp:

May be stored at room temperature (8°C to 25°C [46°F to 77°F]) for a total of 12 hours prior to dilution (including thaw time). Thawed vaccine cannot be refrozen.

To thaw:

Each vial must be thawed before dilution. Allow vial(s) to thaw at room temperature [up to 25ºC (77ºF)] for 30 minutes. A carton of 10 vials may take up to 2 hours to thaw in the refrigerator [2ºC to 8ºC (35ºF to 46ºF)].

Reconstituted/Punctured:

After dilution, the vial should be held between 2ºC to 25°C (35°F to 77°F). Vials should
be discarded 12 hours after dilution.).

Resources:

CDC Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: Storage and Handling Summary (cdc.gov)
FDA EUA Fact Sheet for Providers

Recipient age:

5 – 11 years

Cap Color:

Orange (requires dilution)

Expiry:

18 months after the manufacture date.
Note: The manufacturer date (NOT the expiration date) is printed on the vials. Use Pfizer-BioNTech's expiration date tool at lotexpiry.cvdvaccine.com to determine the vaccine's expiration date.

Long-term storage:

Ultra Cold -90°C to -60°C (-130°F to -76°F)*

Do NOT store at -25°C to -15°C (-13°F to 5°F).

*Cartons of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine vials may also arrive at refrigerator temperature 2°C to 8°C. If received at 2°C to 8°C, they should be stored at 2°C to 8°C. Check that the carton has been updated to reflect the 10-week refrigerated expiry date.

Refrigeration storage:

Refrigerated at 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F) for up to 10 weeks.

The 10-week refrigerated expiry date should be recorded on the carton at the time of transfer.

Thawed vaccine cannot be refrozen.

Room temp:

May be stored at room temperature (8°C to 25°C [46°F to 77°F]) for a total of 12 hours prior to dilution (including thaw time).

Thawed vaccine cannot be refrozen.

To thaw:

Each vial must be thawed before dilution.

If not previously thawed at 2ºC to 8ºC (35ºF to 46ºF), allow vials to thaw at room temperature [up to 25ºC (77ºF)] for 30 minutes.

A carton of 10 vials may take up to 4 hours to thaw at refrigerator temperature (2ºC to 8ºC [35ºF to 46ºF])

Reconstituted/Punctured:

After dilution, the vial should be held between 2ºC to 25°C (35°F to 77°F).

Vials should be discarded 12 hours after dilution. Vial labels and cartons may state that a vial should be discarded 6 hours after the first puncture. The updated 12-hour timeline from the Fact Sheet supersedes the number of hours printed on vial labels and cartons.

Resources:

• CDC Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: Storage and Handling Summary (cdc.gov)
• FDA Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers Administering Vaccine

Recipient age:

12+ Years

Cap color:

Gray (pre-diluted)

Expiry:

18 months after the manufacture date.
Note: The manufacturer date (NOT the expiration date) is printed on the vials. Use Pfizer-BioNTech's expiration date tool at lotexpiry.cvdvaccine.com to determine the vaccine's expiration date.

Long-term storage:

Ultra Cold -90°C to -60°C (-130°F to -76°F)*

Do NOT store at -25°C to -15°C (-13°F to 5°F).

Refrigeration:

Refrigerated at 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F) for up to 10 weeks

The 10-week refrigerated expiry date should be recorded on the carton at the time of transfer.

Do NOT refreeze thawed vaccine.

To thaw:

Vaccine may be thawed in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Refrigerator: Between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F)
A carton of 10 vials may take up to 6 hours to thaw at this temperature.

Room temperature: Up to 25⁰C (77⁰F). Allow vials to thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Punctured:

Once punctured, vials can be stored between 2°C to 25°C (36°F to 77°F) for up to 12 hours. Discard any remaining vaccine after 12 hours.

Do NOT refreeze thawed vaccine.

Resources:

• CDC Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine: Storage and Handling Summary
• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (Gray Cap) Age 12 and Over
• Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers Administering Vaccine

Click here to view this information in a table.

Vaccine:

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

Cap/Label Color:

6 months – 5 years: Dark Pink Cap/Label with Yellow Box
6 months and older: Dark Blue Cap / Gray Border Label
Note: Both 0.25mL and 0.5mL doses may be withdrawn from the same multiple-dose vial

Expiry:

Access the expiration date by scanning the QR code located on the vaccine carton.

Freezer storage:

Frozen -50°C to -15°C (-58°F to 5°F)

Refrigeration storage:

2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F) for up to 30 days
Cannot be re-frozen

To thaw:

Vaccine may be thawed in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

• Refrigerator: Between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 46°F).
  Thaw in the refrigerator for 45 minutes (dark pink cap product), and 2 hours for (dark blue cap products).
  Let vial stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before administering.
  Unpunctured vials may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 30 days.
• Room temperature: Between 15°C and 25°C (3°F and 77°F).
  Thawing at room temperature will take 15 minutes (dark pink cap products) and 45 minutes (dark blue cap products)
  Unpunctured vials may be held at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
  
  Do NOT refreeze thawed vaccine.
  Do NOT dilute.
  Do NOT shake but swirl the vial gently after thawing and between each withdrawal.

Room Temperature/Post-Puncture Storage:

Unpunctured vials may be stored between 8°C to 25°C (46°F to 77°F) for a maximum of 24 hours.

After the first dose has been withdrawn, the vial should be held between 2°C to 25°C (36°F to 77°F). Record the date and time of first use on the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine label. Vials should be discarded 8 hours (dark pink cap product) or 12 hours (blue and red cap products) after the first puncture.

Do NOT refreeze. 

Resources:

• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Storage and Handling Summary
• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
• Moderna Expiration Date Lookup Feature
• FDA Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers Administering Vaccine
  
  

Vaccine:

Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine

Freezer storage:

Not Applicable – Do Not Freeze

Refrigeration storage:

2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F)
Do not freeze.

Punctured vials:

Refrigerated 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F) for up to 6 hours
Discard 6 hours after puncturing vial.

Resources:

• Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine - Novavax