The WHO has appealed to African countries not to throw away expired COVID-19 vaccines because the vaccines remain viable for use despite them going past their expiry date.
Countries have been told to keep hold of them and wait for further guidance.
The appeal comes after Malawi and South Sudan said they would destroy more than 70,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab because they expired in mid-April, the BBC reports.
“My appeal to member states is: if we are doing our part to mobilise these vaccines, you do your part and use the vaccines,” John Nkengasong, director of the Africa CDC stated.
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Many vaccines can be used up to 36 months after their manufacture but as the COVID-19 vaccines is so new there isn’t enough data to support it’s effectiveness after expiry.
The vaccine doses were donated to 13 African countries through a partnership between the African Union (AU) and the telecommunication company MTN Group
Source: BBC