Pfizer recently announced that the COVID-19 vaccine it has in development has shown a 90% effective rate in early trials.
The company plans to apply for an emergency use authorization from the FDA, and hopes to begin deploying the vaccine before the end of the year.
But there are many big challenges relating to distribution — one of which is storage.
Currently, the vaccine doses must be shipped and stored at much lower temperatures than traditional vaccines.
Industry experts worry about cold storage space requirements for the shots, which need -70 degree Celsius (minus-94 Fahrenheit) accommodations.
A newly announced pilot program hopes to address distribution issues early on to create a model for other states and countries.
Pfizer has selected Texas, Rhode Island, New Mexico and Tennessee based on their size, diversity, immunization infrastructure, and need to reach rural and urban citizens alike.
Pfizer has stressed the states will not receive preferential treatment, nor will they receive the vaccine doses earlier than other states.
