WASHINGTON (AP) — Johnson & Johnson says U.S. health officials have extended the expiration date for millions of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine by an extra six weeks.
The drugmaker said Thursday that the Food and Drug Administration approved a longer shelf-life for the one-dose shots.
State officials recently warned that many unused doses would reach their original three-month expiration by the end of June.
The extension comes as the rate of new U.S. vaccinations continues to slip.
Expiration dates for vaccines are determined based on data manufacturers submit to FDA proving how long the shots stay at the right strength.
But regulators have been reviewing those dates based on new samples and data from J&J and other drugmakers.
