A new study conducted by Razi Vaccine Research and Serum Institute recently indicates that some vaccines have a longer shelf life, said Hamid Kahram, head of the institute.
“Changes in the vaccine raw material and preservatives have prolonged their shelf life, it has been noted,” which the institute had earlier underestimated, Mehr News Agency quoted him as saying.
“Therefore, during the past few years, annually more than 50% of polio vaccines and 20% of poultry vaccines produced by the institute were disposed long before their actual shelf life, based on the expiry date on the labels,” he said.
Every three years the institute disposes vaccines that are past their expiration date.
“Since the last 10 months, we are conducting new experiments on vaccines to revise and prolong the expiry dates and set the correct shelf life for each vaccine,” he said.
At present, 80% and 70% of livestock and poultry vaccines in the country are produced by the institute, respectively.
The institute is a pharmaceutical company located in Hessarak district in Karaj, Alborz Province. It is known for its anti-venom serums derived from snake and scorpion venom.
It was built as a national center with the purpose of countering epidemics in domestic animals in 1924. Over the years new departments were established, including those dedicated to human medicines. It has 11 provincial branches and in recent years, the institute has focused primarily on nanomedicine and biotechnology.
