States Rush To Buy Specialty Freezers For COVID Vax

Reuters reports:

U.S. states, cities, and hospitals are scrambling to buy ultra-cold freezers that can safely store Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, ignoring advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to hold off.

The push reveals a lack of infrastructure to support a super cold vaccine campaign, including equipment to store millions of doses of Pfizer’s vaccine at temperatures of minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94°F), significantly below the standard for vaccines of 2-8 degrees Celsius (36-46°F).

Some specialty freezer makers warn of months-long waits for units. A CDC spokeswoman on Thursday said the agency expects the first vaccine doses will be in limited quantities and rapidly deployed, reducing the need to store them in specialized freezers.