Dry-ice supply could complicate coronavirus vaccine distribution in rural areas; see your state's plan

The Pfizer Inc. coronavirus vaccine could be authorized for emergency use tonight, and states are rushing to get ready to distribute it, Stephanie Kelly, Lisa Baertlein and Carl O'Donnell report for Reuters. Pfizer's vaccine must be transported and stored at -70 degrees Celsius, -94 Fahrenheit, so states are scrambling to get enough dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) to get the job done. 

The dry ice is needed not only for transport, but for storage in rural areas and other places that can't afford pricey ultra-cold freezers. "More than a dozen U.S. states, including Washington, New Mexico, Mississippi, Louisiana and Indiana, told Reuters they are rushing to secure dry ice to replenish suitcase-sized shipping containers from Pfizer," the reporters write. Once opened, if used in temporary storage, the vaccines can last 30 days if re-iced every five days, Pfizer said. "The company said it believes there is sufficient dry ice supplies to serve the needs of all 50 states without serious constraints."

Distribution plans vary widely by state, Elizabeth Weise reports for USA Today (click here to see your state's plan). This CNN video explores how vaccines will be distributed in the rural U.S.