AstraZeneca expiry change based on science but communication is key, experts say

OTTAWA – Many immunologists and infectious disease experts say it is a normal, and scientifically sound decision to extend the expiration date on vaccine doses.

Health Canada is adding another month to the shelf life of thousands of doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that were due to expire in Ontario today.

“Health Canada has issued an authorization to extend the expiry date of specific lots of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from six months to seven months, following the review of submitted stability data,” said Alexandra Hilkene, press secretary to the Minister of Health on Saturday.

Hilkene said vaccines that were set to expire on May 31 can now be used until July 1.

Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious disease consultant at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, says expiry dates on vaccines are usually very conservative at first until the product has been around long enough to know when it will start to degrade.

She says she has complete faith that Health Canada’s decision was based on testing and sound science.

Timothy Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in health law and policy at the University of Alberta, says the key to keeping this decision from undermining vaccine confidence is communicating it effectively and transparently.

Caulfield says anything that creates doubt about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines could hurt Canada’s need to get herd immunity.

The province started offering second shots to people who received the dose between March 10 and March 19 at pharmacies in Toronto, Windsor and Kingston, and at some primary care offices.

Approximately 90,000 people participated in the AstraZeneca pilot. Many eager vaccine recipients reported frustration this week when trying to book second doses at pharmacies that were still waiting on delayed supply.