Question about Vaccine Shipments

[TuskMoar]

The CNN article I am going to link at the bottom of this indicates that Biden is increasing shipments of vaccines to retail pharmacies. Overall, that sounds like a really good idea and something I fully support. However, I was under the impression that one of the logistical barriers was that most pharmacies lacked the ability to provide the very cold storage these vaccines require. Am I missing something?

I guess overall, I have just been a bit concerned about the ability to keep these mRNA vaccines cold enough on this scale. I received my first (Pfizer) a week ago and looking forward to my second. But, it was a large scale mass vaccination site. I was worried about them keeping it cold and I hope it is effective. Anyone else worried about this?

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/politics/vaccine-shipments-white-house/index.html

[33taw]

1. I am no expert on this subject, but I believe Pfizer is the only vaccine that requires the

very cold storage.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Moderna Too, But Not As Cold

I can't find the reason why these things so chemically similar have such different denaturation rates. But, for now I'll trust Pfizer's judgment.
IIRC, it was -80 vs. -40.

[sweetloukillbot]

2. Yeah, because the Biden administration has been Soooo incompetent in their decisions

I'm sure they NEVER considered how the pharmacies would store the vaccines...

[Irish_Dem]

3. Moderna doesn't need the deep deep freeze like Pfizer.

It can be stored in a regular pharmacy freezer.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. CVS Reported, About 3 Weeks Ago...

...that they were ready in 90% of their geographic reach.
That didn't mean 90% of their stores had cryo cabinets. But, if there was an area that had, for instance, 3 pharmacies within 20 miles, one of them would be prepared.
They're a huge company and they can afford the $6,000 or so to get a small cryocab. Some stores actually already had them.
The store in our small town, (6,000 people) got one. We're 18 miles north of 3 city area of 75,000 and 20 miles south of a metro area of 250k. Yet, they still put one here.
The town 5 miles to our SW, did not get one. But, the town of 8,000 eight miles west (different county) did.
So, I'm prone to believe their 90%.
In truly rural areas, I'm not so sure.

[Raven123]

5. Vaccines were eventually getting to pharmacies. I think they just cut out a layover in the states

I assume they have solved the refrigeration issue and as already mentioned, the Pfizer vaccine requires deep refrigeration