The global community must take a comprehensive look at supply chain forces at an unprecedented level if they are to ensure a smooth rollout of the new COVID-19 vaccine, and huge advances have been made in a relatively short period of time.
It is sometimes necessary to think creatively when countries do not have sufficient vaccination programs or lack the infrastructure to distribute materials.
In order to meet global demand for Pfizer's vaccine, for instance, ultra-low storage temperatures need to be maintained. To maintain the cold chain of vital products, dry ice companies and freezer manufacturers have had to adapt to meet the need for ultra-low storage temperatures.
What is the Cold Chain?
The cold chain's priority is extending and preserving the shelf lives of temperature-sensitive products.
As a result, vaccines are usually packed and insulated to ensure the proper conditions for transportation according to rigorous protocol. The support packages may lose their effectiveness if exposed to heat, so maintaining a chain of temperature-controlled distribution is necessary.
The use of dry ice storage is potentially risky, as it can damage the viability of the very valuable vaccines, and conventional compressor-based ULT freezers are too cumbersome to deploy in remote locations. To prevent vaccines from deteriorating at the time of administration, a reliable temperature-sensitive device is necessary.
Finding a solution that can be deployed anywhere in the world is a global challenge that requires creative thinking.
Covid vaccines require a precise temperature for storage. The Moderna Vaccine needs between -25-15°C and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine needs -60-80ºC, which necessitates some navigation through novel logistical planning to make sure this precious vaccine has as little wastage as possible.
Tens of thousands of vaccine doses are stored using larger freezers in major hospitals of City centres. For small, rural communities on the other hand, more remote locations will sometimes need another option available.
Facing the task head on needs the correct toolkit and new advances in temperature controlled systems are able to give better flexibility now as we consider hurdles in the roll-out programmes.
The issues facing healthcare providers now are unprecedented and with the issues regarding the cold chain for the Coronavirus vaccination projects, some have been turning to the huge advantages offered by Portable ULT freezers.
A Portable ULT Freezer is a perfect choice for quickly moving vaccines amongst healthcare facilities and hospital sites. These mobile freezers are able to safely contain as many as 5,400 doses of Moderna vaccine (that's 540 vials) and 8,400 doses (1,400 vials) of Pfizer vaccine.
Portable ULT Freezers like this even use "SenseAnywhere" logging technology to monitor temperatures remotely via wireless connections and software on the cloud which can check that important medical supplies are being stored under optimal conditions.
Standard ULT freezers can be too cumbersome for uses outside the lab as they can be incredibly heavy if medicines need to be delivered to remote regions.
Therefore, freezers which are both portable whilst still offering ultra-low temperatures can be an excellent option for frontline healthcare workers in those teams working on the vaccination programmes where the need to protect vulnerable communities is a top priority.
Portable ULT freezers can help to maintain the individual links in the cold chain which can provide vital transportation links from central repositories all the way to the point of care in rural communities and care homes.
The life saving portability of these units is changing the game in the fight against COVID in remote communities, long may it continue.
