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By Ben Klayman
DETROIT, Nov 24 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co said on Tuesday it ordered a dozen ultra-cold freezers that can safely store Pfizer Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine, a move that aims to ensure that workers at the automaker Americans have access to vaccines when they are. released nationwide.
Ford’s purchase reflects efforts by US states and cities to purchase equipment to store millions of doses of Pfizer’s vaccine at temperatures of minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit), significantly below the standard for 2-8 C (36-46 F) vaccines.
Healthcare providers and states are preparing for a new class of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna Inc that require lower temperatures for storage.
“We are doing this so that we can make the vaccine available to our employees on a voluntary basis,” said Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker.
Details of how Ford will use the freezers, which are expected to be delivered by the end of the year, are still being worked out, he said.
Assembly workers are considered essential in most states, but they are not at the top of the list for vaccines, which are expected to be distributed first to healthcare workers and nursing home residents.
Automakers have been able to largely prevent the spread of the virus among hourly workers at their assembly plants after a two-month shutdown earlier in the year, but COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing in the America, especially in the Midwest.
Felker didn’t know which company supplies Ford with the freezers. Major manufacturers include Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, PHC Corp of North America, B Medical Systems of Luxembourg, Stirling Ultracold, and Helmer Scientific.
Some specialty freezer manufacturers have warned about waiting for units for months.
Ford, which decided to buy the freezers on its own and is not working with other companies or states, did not disclose how much it spent, but the specialty freezers required by Pfizer’s vaccine can cost between $ 5,000 and $ 15,000 each, according to industry officials. .
General Motors Co said it had not purchased freezers at this time. “We are taking steps to be prepared to make vaccines available to our employees when the time is right and vaccines are available to us,” said GM spokesman Patrick Morrissey.
Officials from Toyota Motor Corp, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the United Auto Workers union, which represents the majority of American hourly workers at Detroit automakers, did not immediately comment. Michigan state health officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
(Reporting by Ben Klayman; Editing by Lisa Shumaker Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
