EU regulator says Pfizer coronavirus vaccine can be stored in regular refrigeration for a month

The European Union's top drug regulator said Monday that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine can be stored in regular refrigeration for up to a month. 

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) changed its recommendation from five days of storage "in a normal fridge" to one full month after an assessment of additional stability study data.

Increased flexibility in the storage and handling of the vaccine is expected to have a significant impact on planning and logistics of vaccine roll-out in EU Member States," the EMA said in a statement.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration in February approved storing Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at standard freezer temperatures for up to two weeks. Previous requirements demanded ultra-cold freezers at minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The storage requirements for Pfizer vaccines has made those doses harder to use in some parts of the world, such as rural communities in the U.S.