U.S. states race to buy ultra cold vaccine freezers, fueling supply worries
Last updated on: 14 November,2020 08:23 pm
U.S. states race to buy ultra cold vaccine freezers, fueling supply worries
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. states, cities, and hospitals are scrambling to buy ultra-cold freezers that can safely store Pfizer Inc’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.
It also marks widespread wariness of the advice from the CDC, which on Aug. 26 urged healthcare providers not to purchase ultra low temperature (ULT) freezers, saying it was working on solutions for Pfizer’s “very complex storage and handling requirements.”
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.
But the news on Monday that initial results from a pivotal trial of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and German partner BioNTech showed it to be more than 90% effective has turned attention to eventual shipping and storage logistics.
That has thrown a spotlight on makers of the niche freezers, including Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, Luxembourg’s B Medical Systems, Helmer Scientific and Stirling Ultracold, who are adding labor and expanding capacity.
“I would estimate that a third of states are purchasing ultra cold storage equipment,” said Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, a nonprofit representing state and local public health officials who handle vaccines.
The specialized freezers required by Pfizer’s vaccine can cost $5,000 to $15,000.
Moderna Inc is close to releasing efficacy results for its similar vaccine, which requires an easier to accommodate storage temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4°F).
At least half a dozen states, including California, Rhode Island and New Mexico, said in published comments to the CDC that they expect to face challenges due to limited supplies of ULT freezers. A similar number told Reuters or said in public filings that they are purchasing units in anticipation of the vaccine rollout.