From temperature to transportation, getting COVID-19 vaccines to Minnesotans is a complicated path - KSTP

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Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Tim Walz said the first vaccines could arrive in the state as early as next week. Minnesota's distribution model will start with 25 vaccine hubs and 118 spokes.

The Pfizer vaccine, which is the first that will be available, needs to be stored at -94 degrees. There is already ultra-cold storage in place at many of Minnesota's hubs.

Walz outlines COVID-19 vaccine rollout plans, over 183K doses expected to be distributed by end of year

But the product must be kept cold all throughout the supply chain, which requires complex planning. The governor said there is such little room for error that they have been conducting practice runs to prepare for the day the vaccine actually arrives.

"We have tested it from when it leaves the manufacturing facility until it was on the FedEx truck, then delivered to us at the hospital," he said.

Walz said the package they tracked contained a monitor to show the temperature.

"We have been thinking of all the implications of what happens. Will there be enough FedEx trucks? What happens if there is a blizzard?" he said.