The Food and Drug Administration says it's now OK to store the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at normal refrigerator temperatures for up to a month. This is much longer than was previously allowed under the FDA's emergency authorization and will make storage and distribution of the vaccine easier.

The FDA says the change should make the vaccine more widely available by making it easier for doctors' offices to receive, store and administer the vaccine.

"Making COVID-19 vaccines widely available is key to getting people vaccinated and bringing the pandemic to an end," says Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics and Research.

Based on a review of recent data submitted by Pfizer Inc, the FDA is authorizing undiluted, thawed Pfizer-BionTech COVID-19 vaccine vials to be stored in the refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (35°F to 46°F) for up to 1 month.

Previously, thawed, undiluted vaccine vials could be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.