Govt buys ultracold freezers for vaccine

WELLINGTON: The Government has bought several bulk freezers for storing a coronavirus vaccine after news one could be ready next year.

Planning is well under way for the rollout of a vaccine. United States drug company Pfizer announced this week that its version seemed promising.

The vaccine has to be stored at ultracold temperatures of 70degC, which requires specialised refrigeration.

The Ministry of Health said it had bought ‘‘a number’’ of the freezers and they were due in the country by the end of the year. It had also bought equipment for handling the vaccine, such as dry ice.

The Pfizer product is not yet approved but is the strongest contender so far.

If it gets Medsafe approval, it could be rolled out as early as March.

Medsafe changed its approval process to make it more efficient, allowing vaccine manufacturers to submit their information as it came to hand, in a rolling application process.

A ministry spokesman said Pfizer indicated it could have its final portion of data ready for assessment about March and, if successful, a vaccination programme could start shortly after.

But that could change depending on the Pfizer trials and manufacturing times, the spokesman said.

The Government’s Covid19 immunisation programme governance group, which will oversee the purchase and delivery of any vaccine, met for the first time last week.

Any vaccine would had to meet quality and safety criteria before approval, the spokesman said. — RNZ