Is This The Answer to Ultra Cold Temperature Vaccine Distribution?
Vaccine logistics is the thorn in any vaccine program’s side. In the past decade, the ultra-cold temperature vaccine and vaccine fridge have become essential in the fight against disease, particularly the Ebola virus and, most recently, COVID-19.
However, getting ultra-cold temperature vaccines from manufacturer to clinic is an enormous logistical challenge.
Vaccines are fragile, and cold-chain logistics (specialist handling, journey management, and refrigerated transport) suffers from being both high-cost and high-maintenance. Temperature and light exposure are among some of the problems. Too hot and vaccines degrade. Too cold and they freeze.
One aspect of cold-chain logistics that is often overlooked is the destination itself. Many rural clinics (and even many urban ones) have no ultra-cold fridges or freezers for vaccine storage, and it may not be possible or even financially viable to send ultra-cold road transport to their location. In some cases, it may be necessary to travel on foot.
Regardless of the temperature required for a particular vaccine, vaccine transport needs to be carefully managed and precise. So, what is the key to successful vaccine distribution?
Bioline Global’s portable vaccine fridges offer convenient and lightweight transport so you can get vaccines where they’re needed smoothly and without incident.
Vaccine Transport and Temperature Conditions in Focus
Australia’s vaccine transport requirements are still being updated, with the current approved Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine conditions now offering more logistical flexibility, as follows:
“Longer term storage at dry ice or ultra-cold temperatures (-90C to -60°C) is still required, for unopened vials, storage and transportation at domestic freezer temperatures (-25°C to -15°C) is now permitted for up to 2 weeks. Vials stored or transported in this manner can also be returned to ultra-cold longer term storage within the original shelf life of the product.
In addition, unopened vials can now be stored for up to 5 days at domestic refrigerator temperatures (2°C to 8°C). Within this 5 day period, up to 12 hours may be used for transportation, but the time used for transport of unopened vials at refrigerator temperatures counts against the 5 day limit for storage at 2°C to 8°C.”
Nevertheless, vaccine transport conditions are still critical to their efficacy, and must continue to be highly secure, well-monitored, and precise.
What hospitals, clinics, and all other stakeholders must grapple with is how to manage the costs involved in cold transport and storage. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine needs to be stored at -80⁰C, which in cooling terms represents significant running costs.
Energy Efficient Ultracold Portable Vaccine Freezers
Portable vaccine fridges and freezers enable us to overcome the difficulties of vaccine distribution. Vaccines can travel safely and in ideal conditions within portable vaccine fridges on any mode of transport.
However, it is only energy efficient portable vaccine freezers that enable us to direct more funds into vaccines rather than the costs involved in cold transport.
The Stirling Ultracold Energy Efficient Freezer by Bioline Global offers superior stirling engine technology to protect your precious biological samples in three sizes from 25 litres to 780 litres. All models are adjustable in temperature from -20 to -86degC.
The 25 litre model offers both portable and precise technology that can operate off a DC power supply during transport.
Safeguard Your Vaccine Distribution
At Bioline Global, we supply premium vaccine freezers and fridges in both portable and stationary models. Please reach out to us on +61 (02) 46660010 or [email protected] for more information