Figure 4 - How the Pfizer vaccine is delivered and stored

Figure 4 is a flowchart that shows the delivery chain of the Pfizer vaccine doses. Doses of Pfizer vaccine arrive in New Zealand and are then moved to central storage, where they are kept at minus seventy degrees Celsius. Only the central storage can manage the packing down of vaccines into smaller lots. The site can handle 1.4 million doses a month. From there, the doses are delivered to vaccination sites. After the vaccine has thawed, it can be kept at two to eight degrees Celsius for up to five days. Vaccination sites are run by district health boards who provide the Ministry of Health with a forecast of how many vaccinations they expect to administer over the next week. The Ministry of Health arranges for the secure delivery of vaccines from central storage.