But that half dose has to be stored in conditions much cooler than the AstraZeneca vaccine. Obviously there's a place for both but the portability of the AstraZeneca and J&J vaccines can't be understated.
The storage requirements for the Moderna and Pfizer shots are heavily on the safe side. They went with it for the EUA because there was simply no time to prove that it could be safely stored at normal temps. The overwhelming consensus, however, is that it can be. I suspect the full FDA approval will change the guidelines to allow normal refrigeration up to 30 days.
I saw a press release from the Singapore health authority that they have extended the time allowed for these vaccines to be stored in regular refrigeration. It doesn't sound unlikely that this time would be extended further until the requirement for ultra low temperatures is no longer needed?
That's likely no longer true. The updated guidance for Pfizer (which originally had colder storage requirements than Moderna) is:
"undiluted, thawed Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine vials to be stored in the refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (35°F to 46°F) for up to 1 month. Previously, thawed, undiluted vaccine vials could be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days."
