They can be opened twice a day for less than three minutes at a time while maintaining the temperature. Once opened for longer, the vials can be kept at 2-7°C for five days.
Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccines must be kept at temperatures of -70 °C. Here, they are being transported in a special trailer from the plane to Emirates Sky Pharma for storage. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office
The ultra-cold storage is necessary to prevent the mRNA in them – the technology used to deliver the vaccines – from breaking down.
The vaccine will be given free of cost in Dubai.
Keeping the vaccines at -70 °C maintains the structure of the mRNA for up to six months.
There has never been a vaccine or drug that has required such cold storage before, which meant Pfizer had to develop a special method to transport the doses.
Pfizer's reusable boxes, which can store up to 5,000 doses, are packed with dry ice and installed with trackers to monitor the location and temperature of the frozen vials.
They can be opened twice a day for less than three minutes at a time while maintaining the temperature. Once opened for longer, the vials can be kept at 2-7°C for five days.
Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccines must be kept at temperatures of -70 °C. Here, they are being transported in a special trailer from the plane to Emirates Sky Pharma for storage. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office
The ultra-cold storage is necessary to prevent the mRNA in them – the technology used to deliver the vaccines – from breaking down.
The vaccine will be given free of cost in Dubai.
Keeping the vaccines at -70 °C maintains the structure of the mRNA for up to six months.
There has never been a vaccine or drug that has required such cold storage before, which meant Pfizer had to develop a special method to transport the doses.
Pfizer's reusable boxes, which can store up to 5,000 doses, are packed with dry ice and installed with trackers to monitor the location and temperature of the frozen vials.
They can be opened twice a day for less than three minutes at a time while maintaining the temperature. Once opened for longer, the vials can be kept at 2-7°C for five days.
