12/15/20 CS321570-C 1

1. Vaccine will be delivered by FedEx or UPS. 

2. Examine the shipping container for signs of 

physical damage. 

 If the thermal shipping container appears damaged 

— STOP. Contact Pfizer with questions or concerns. 

 If the thermal shipping container appears to be in 

good condition, continue to Step 3. 

3. Place the thermal shipping container on the floor 

to unpack (may weigh up to ~80 pounds).

4. The thermal shipping container contains dry ice

Before opening: 

 Collect PPE, including goggles and insulated gloves. 

 Place the thermal shipping container in an area 

with proper ventilation. A leak in a confined area 

may create an oxygen-deficient environment and 

result in suffocation. 

5. Open the thermal shipping container. 

6. Press and hold the “Stop Shipment” button 

on the temperature monitoring device (TMD) 

for 5 seconds.

 This triggers an e-mail report from the 

manufacturer on the temperature status of the 

container during transit. The report will be sent 

to the provider (facility) e-mail address associated 

with the order. 

 The LED indicator light on the TMD will change 

from blinking to a solid light. 

7. Proceed based on the color of the 

LED indicator light. 

 Green: Vaccine can be unpacked. 

Continue to step 8.

 Red or no color: STOP! Wait for the status report 

on the vaccine.

 Contact the manufacturer immediately if the 

status report indicates a temperature excursion 

has occurred. 

 Continue to step 8 if the vaccine can be used. 

8. Wearing PPE, continue to unpack the shipping 

container following the manufacturer’s guidance. 

Materials outlining the unpacking process can 

be found inside the container immediately after 

opening the lid.

 Inspect the tray(s) of vaccine for damage. 

Ensure the correct number of trays were delivered. 

 Place the tray(s) with the vials upright in the 

storage unit. 

 If storing vaccine at ultra-cold temperatures 

between -80°C and -60°C (-112°F and -76°F), 

do NOT open the tray(s) or touch the vials. Return 

tray to ultra-cold storage within 5 minutes.

 If storing the vaccine at refrigerator 

temperatures between 2°C and 8°C (36°F and 

46°F), the vaccine must be used within 120 

hours (5 days). 

Ů Thawed vaccine cannot be refrozen. 

 Dispose of the dry ice according to the 

manufacturer’s directions. 

9. If using the thermal shipping container to 

store vaccine,* replenish the container with dry 

ice pellets (sized 10 mm to 16 mm) within 24 

hours of delivery. Unless you have opted out of 

receiving dry ice when the order was placed, dry 

ice will be provided for the first re-icing. Close 

the container using packing tape. 

10. Respond to the manufacturer's status report 

email regarding ongoing temperature 

monitoring of the thermal shipping container.

 If storing vaccine in an ultra-cold freezer or 

refrigerator, click on the link to opt out of ongoing 

temperature monitoring. 

 If storing vaccine in the thermal shipping 

container,* an additional e-mail will be sent. 

Add additional contacts to be notified of the 

temperature status of the container. 

Include after-hours phone numbers. 

* CDC recommends using the thermal shipping container 

 for temporary storage only.

COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer) requires ultra-cold temperatures during shipment and will arrive in a thermal shipping container with dry ice. To unpack 

the vaccine, staff will need proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and should know how to handle dry ice safely. Training materials from the 

manufacturer, including videos, are available at www.cvdvaccine.com. Use the following checklist to ensure the vaccine is received, stored, and 

handled appropriately.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

Delivery Checklist

Contact the vaccine manufacturer at 1-800-438-1985. Additional information is available at www.cvdvaccine.com.