Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines arrive in an insulated box, tightly packed with dry ice, roughly double the size of a carry-on suitcase. Fully loaded, it weighs about 80 pounds.
Unremarkable as it may be, this rectangular package helps explain the considerable obstacles in rolling out Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine. The large box also represents how the pharma behemoth rebuffed the federal government, creating public health setbacks but greater profits.
The odyssey of the boxes had its origins last summer, when Pfizer insisted it would deliver its own vaccine, taking full control of the complex ultra-cold transportation requirements. The company signed a deal with Operation Warp Speed in July, agreeing to ship the vaccine wherever the government wanted — but without specifying how many vaccines would be in each package.
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