The Oklahoma State Department of Health said Tuesday it will be able to extend the shelf life of 75,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine that were set to expire at the end of this month due to a change in federal guidance.
"The 75,000 doses anticipated to expire in June will now be available for administration until August 7, with some of the lots expiring July 24," the department said in a news release.
“There is no medical risk to the individuals who receive a dose of COVID-19 vaccine that have received an extension on their expiration date,” said Dr. Gitanjali Pai, Oklahoma's chief medical officer, in a statement. “I would encourage Oklahomans to be confident that the dose they receive is perfectly safe and effective based on recent studies that led the FDA to its decision.”
The news comes after OSDH Deputy Commissioner Keith Reed told reporters earlier this month that more than 100,000 combined doses of Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines would expire by the end of June.
“OSDH has not discarded recently expired doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Our preemptive decision to pull the expired doses from active inventory while maintaining their safe and appropriate storage sets us up well to use them now that the FDA has extended their shelf life,” Reed said in a Tuesday statement. “As of June 9, 2021, OSDH has roughly 26,000 Pfizer doses and a little over 600 Moderna doses expiring by the end of June. We plan to use what we can this month and hold the rest until further federal guidance on these vaccine manufacturers is received.”
Reed said demand for vaccine has dropped "precipitously" in Oklahoma, which ranks among the worst states for vaccine uptake.
