Canadian health authorities have announced they were pushing back the expiration date on nearly 50,000 doses of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine by one month.

Health Canada said in a statement its approval to extend the shelf life of two lots of vaccine from May 31 to July 1 was supported by “scientific evidence.”

“This change will ensure that provinces and territories are able to use up their existing inventory and provide Canadians access to much-needed doses of the vaccine,” the agency said, according to AFP.

Canadian health authorities had previously approved a six-month shelf life for AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine.