<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The health authorities said that the expiry dates of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses used to administer the second booster shot have been extended by 70 days.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The decision was made with the approval of manufacturers Pfizer-BioNTech and the World Health Organisation. The Bangladesh National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group has also approved their use.</div><div><br></div><div>There are no issues administering this fourth dose of the vaccine, the Directorate General of Health Services said at a virtual press conference on Sunday.</div><div><br></div><div>The DGHS rolled out the second booster dose across the country on Dec 20. The Pfizer vaccine has been used for the fourth dose. The immunisation programme sent instructions about the extension of the expiry date across the country on Dec 20.</div><div><br></div><div>The expiry dates for the Pfizer shots were extended from Nov 30 to Feb 28 with permission from its manufacturers and the UN’s health agency, according to a letter from Dr Md Shamsul Haque, member secretary of the COVID-19 Vaccine Management Task Force.</div><div><br></div><div>Any vials or boxes of the vaccine must be used within 70 days of being mixed, or within 70 days of their date of expiry or whichever comes first, according to the letter.</div><div><br></div><div>Dr ABM Khurshid Alam, director general of health services, says that some media outlets had reported that the DGHS were using expired vaccines. “The issue is sensitive, so we called a press conference to explain,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>