If it is approved, which could happen within days, health officials said it will be more accessible to more people across North Carolina. The Pfizer vaccine does have to be kept frozen at temperatures lower than we would have typically at clinics and facilities, said Dr. Cindy Gay, an associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UNC School of Medicine. That’s going to mean that it’s going to be more available to people in rural areas, where hospitals might not have the capabilities of keeping the Pfizer vaccine cold, said Ronda Decker, nurse manager of operations at Duke Raleigh Hospital. It’s extremely exciting.