CBJ is distributing CareStart COVID-19 self-tests. They expire June 30, according to the FDA.
The City and Borough of Juneau began distributing the CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test to the general public last week. All 26,000 test kits that CBJ received have a printed expiration date on the box of March 2022. In fact, the CareStart test kits that CBJ received all expire on June 30, 2022. This is based on approval from the Food and Drug Administration to extend the test’s shelf life expiration date from 6 to 9 months.
The CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test is made by Access Bio. The FDA’s approval to extend the shelf life to 9 months when stored at 34–86°F is based on the results of Access Bio’s ongoing stability studies. Access Bio submitted real-time stability data on December 1, 2021, and the FDA granted nine months of shelf-life for the test as of January 20, 2022.
To reiterate: Despite the printed shelf life on the CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test being March 2022, FDA says the test will actually last until June 30, 2022.
These rapid antigen tests can be self-administered at home or anywhere, are easy to use, and return results in 10-15 minutes. CBJ is distributing two free text kit boxes per family from the following locations:
- City Hall Cash Office
- All Juneau Public Libraries (Downtown, Mendenhall Valley, and Douglas)
- Juneau Public Health Center, 3412 Glacier Highway (across the street from Twin Lakes parking lot)
- Juneau Police Department, 6255 Alaway Avenue
Do not go into any of these facilities if you’re feeling sick, or if you’ve been identified as a close contact and should be quarantining. (If you’re feeling sick, schedule an appointment at CBJ’s drive-thru testing facility online or call 907-586-6000.)
Here’s an instructional video on how to use the CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, or see the printed instructions that are inside each box.
For more information, contact [email protected].