Expiration and Beyond Use Date (BUD)

Determining when a vaccine or diluent expires is a critical step in proper storage and handling. Understanding vaccine expiration dates can help save your practice time and money.

All vaccines have expiration dates, and some routinely recommended vaccines have a beyond use date (BUD), which is calculated based on the date the vial is first punctured and the storage information in the package insert.

For COVID-19 vaccines:

• The expiration date may change for some vaccines as more stability data become available.
  
• The Fact Sheets for Healthcare Providers, manufacturer package inserts, or manufacturer websites will provide more information about expiration dates and BUDs.