How to get a COVID-19 Vaccine to the Developing World

Now that a COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use, one of the next major challenges will be logistical: How do you distribute billions of doses around the planet, including to remote corners of the world that lack reliable electricity, when the vaccine has to stay refrigerated to be effective? (ref 1)

Vaccine circulation in each country generally passes through three or four levels where different logistical tasks are involved to maintain the “cold chain” low temperature requirements at each step of the journey. Doses of the vaccine will travel on flights to a country, where the government will typically have them delivered to a national cold storage facility. Next, the vaccines will go on to other distribution centers which focuses on the management of regional vaccine storage, the distribution to community hospitals as part of the inoculation process. Finally, the health facility is responsible for the storage and inoculation of vaccines covering the community and outreach service to remote areas.

Haier Biomedical’s cold chain can cover the requirements of all levels, with the equipment approved by the WHO/PQS certifications, which is the most comprehensive cold chain service provider in the world.

Potential Demand and Solution

Vaccine Storage: 

From the national large storage facility to the region at -80℃, and then to the solar cold chain health facility without electricity;

Transportation: 

-20℃ Active transport cooler

-70 / -25～-15℃ Passive transport cooler

Vaccine refrigerated vehicle

Smart mobile clinic.

Temperature and Inventory Monitoring: 

In order to ensure the safety of vaccine, Haier Biomedical’s solution is also equipped with the remote temperature monitoring system to collect all the terminal data of equipment and to manage the inventory automatically, all solutions are based on the 2G network, which covers most areas in need, and can be connected to the best signal network through an international SIM card. 

Through the storage plus transportation plus data collection, it is possible to guarantee the storage and transportation of the vaccine at all levels, and the constant detection of the vaccine temperature and inventory, providing a data basis for decision-making.

While the vaccines are being moved, they’re often kept in insulated boxes with ice and sensors, such as Haier Biomedical Transport Cooler, which can decrease the temperature down to -70℃ with dry ice, at the same time, with Vacuum Insulation Panel (V.I.P.) insulation technology‘s adoption, it has high stability and durable function, and the light weight makes it easy to carry. Now Haier Biomedical has the solution to overcome traditional transport issues and ensure maximum security and safety for vaccine transportation.

To further improve the immunization accessibility, Haier Biomedical also have vaccine refrigerated and mobile clinic to offer better flexibility.

Haier Biomedical refrigerated vehicle, with high chassis, backup power supply and heating system, can adapt to more complex terrain and with better endurance.

Meanwhile, Haier Biomedical's comprehensive mobile clinic solution, is fitted with vaccine storage equipment, patient examination facility, and other critical medical equipment generally found in a clinic, can further improve the access to immunization services and extend the vaccination coverage to more remote mountainous areas and hard to reach locations, such as towns and small villages.

While they’re in storage, one piece of the solution is refrigeration technology that runs on solar power, this fills the gaps in areas that don’t have access to reliable electricity. In South Sudan, the least-electrified country in the world, where only around 28% of the population is connected to the grid and where it’s common for temperatures to surge above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, UNICEF has installed solar fridges in more than 700 health facilities. Thousands of solar fridges have also been installed in other low-income countries; by the end of the year, the agency expects to have 65,000 solar fridges in place around the world.  (ref 2)

The technology keeps evolving and early solar fridges had batteries to store electricity from solar panels, but that didn’t work well and was not environment friendly. “Batteries were quite a weak link—they were the main cause of failure, and we often found that they weren’t replaced when they broke down,” Seidel says. (ref 3) The current “direct drive” version solves the problem by storing power directly inside the fridge. Haier Biomedical Solar Direct Drive (SDD) Vaccine Refrigerators have been tested and proven for years, no need for battery, and has super robust stability, security and insulation performance. Long holdover time, super temperature control and A-class anti-freeze function ensures the vaccines safe and secure to the last mile! 

Larger cold storage rooms that run on solar power are also expected to soon be approved for use by the World Health Organization, though they aren’t in place yet. Haier Biomedical SDD Cold Room has already served many remote regions for mass storage of vaccines overcoming the electricity scarcity issue. It is worth mentioning that it can maintain 2-8℃ for days after being powered off, designed by our engineers’ for the complete consideration for the security of the vaccines, making life better by ensuring again the safety, security and reliability to the last mile.

Every country is now beginning to rapidly ensure it has a cold chain to cope with the demand. As things stand today, few countries (if any!) have the ability to cope with the demand and rollout a COVID vaccine using existing cold chains. Countries need to quickly rethink and develop a solution that reaches the masses quickly.

Haier Biomedical COVID-19 Vaccine Cold Chain Complete Solutions (ref 4): The truly worry free and only option that covers your complete COVID-19 vaccine cold chain requirements! From vaccine transportation, preservation, management to inoculation, partnering with Haier Biomedical ensures you are safeguarding the vaccines from manufacturer to the vaccinated by securing the safety and reliability of vaccines for millions of people.

Reference:

1, 2, 3: 

https://www.fastcompany.com/90574433/solar-fridges-and-powdered-vaccine-how-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccine-to-the-developing-world

4.https://www.haiermedical.com/en/pdf?fileName=COVID-19VaccineColdChainSolution-UN%26Africa&url=9c9c736d83c296a1f65e3eb38fa679c1.pdf&lang=en_EN