Current Events > Question about storage of vaccine at vaccination sites

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I have my pfizer shot booked for next week. I heard that the vaccines have to be stored in ultra-cold temperatures.

Now obviously they have to be taken out to be used, but how do they know if the vial is good to use? How long can it be out of the cold before it turns bad? Just wondering because I freak out over stuff like this.

rattlesnake30 posted...

I freak out over stuff like this.

So you ask ce

I also wonder about this

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so first off, it doesn't turn to poison if it gets warm. second, it doesn't instantly degrade when it goes above cryo temps. they store them on site in dry ice. to use a vial on a given day its pulled out and thawed in a fridge for about 2 hours. once its thawed it needs to be used within 6 hours. this isn't a hard limit, its not like if it rolls over the 6 hour time limit then the vaccine is instantly worthless. its just that the mRNA degrades at a set rate once thawed and that degradation is estimated to hit a point that makes the vaccine less effective at 6 hours.

edit: it occurs to me it might be the lipid capsule the mRNA is delivered in that degrades first, i'm not entirely sure and i'm not having success looking it up.

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