Vaccine Left at Room Temperature for 14 Hours in Gwangju... 1,000 Doses Deemed Unusable

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] In Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, about 1,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine were exposed to room temperature for an extended period and faced disposal.

According to quarantine authorities on the 30th, 127 vials of Pfizer vaccine (approximately 6 doses per vial) stored in the vaccine storage area of the Buk-gu Vaccination Center in Gwangju were exposed to room temperature after deviating from the required storage temperature.

It was confirmed that the vaccines were at room temperature for about 14 hours from 6 PM the previous day to 8 AM on the day.

Pfizer vaccines can be stored at 2~8℃ for up to 31 days but must not be exposed to room temperature for more than 2 hours.

It was confirmed that a vaccine management staff member temporarily left the vaccine at room temperature while transferring it from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw it and to write a log, resulting in failure to refrigerate it properly.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency verbally declared the vaccine unusable, but disposal is still under consideration.

The vaccines stored at the Buk-gu Vaccination Center will be used without disruption for this week’s vaccinations, and the authorities explained that after receiving a new shipment, local vaccinations will proceed smoothly.

Kim Jonghyo, Deputy Mayor of Gwangju, said in a briefing that “an incident that should not have happened occurred,” and added, “We will revise the vaccine management manual, educate field managers to ensure accurate understanding, and strengthen on-site inspections.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.