The technology behind the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out

Developed and brought to market in record speed, efficiency was and remains key for the Covid-19 vaccine, as it moves from the development stages to a large-scale vaccination programme.Though launching in the UK in December 2020, the full vaccination programme is a long-term effort at an incredible scale. With a number of challenges to face, accuracy, transparency and efficiency are key - here we look at some of the technology being used to assist the country-wide programme, and the potential of existing tech.

Fewer challenges in healthcare this century have been completed as quickly, with as much at stake, as the global race for the Covid-19 vaccine. On 8 December 2020, the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine was authorised by UK regulators. Approval of a second vaccine from Oxford-AstraZeneca bolstered this further on 30 December 2020, with Moderna approved for use by EU authorities in January 2021.

During the months when much of the world begins to slow down and reflect on another year, December 2020 marked a landmark breakthrough in the ongoing effort to keep the public safe, return life back to normality and reduce the strain on our healthcare systems. With the average vaccine usually taking more than 10 years to develop, the Covid-19 programme is already a notable scientific achievement. Now attention turns to the logistics of vaccinating millions of people across the UK and Europe, with mass take-up required in order for it to be effective. 

Already this is proving difficult. When Britons were asked in October 2020 if they’d get the vaccine when it becomes available, 19% were unsure, while 15% opted not to. In line with the huge scale of the programme, cabin crew, firefighters and hospitality professionals are reportedly being trained to help administer the jabs across the UK. 

Other considerations such as the storage temperature limitations, short shelf life of each dose once diluted and venues such as supermarket car parks and sport stadiums being used as mass vaccination centres highlight just some of the challenges of the rollout. Though starting with a turbo-charged goal to inoculate the most vulnerable before mid-February, this is only the start of a long and staged programme. The UK Health Secretary set out plans to vaccinate all UK adults by autumn 2021. In these early days it’s important for health officials to get every process right to drive effectiveness and build confidence in the future. 

Operationally, healthcare technology is being used to aid the vaccination programme. While in some cases new software is being purchased, such as stakeholder management software Travacity which will be used by Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, technologies already installed in many healthcare environments are being pivoted and used in innovative ways to meet the new and changing needs.

One example of this is Pinnacle and Sonar; two systems usually used in pharmaceutical environments. From December 2020 they are being adapted to record Covid vaccinations. However, this is only as a temporary measure, with long-term plans in place to upgrade existing systems used by the GPs and other centres that are administering the vaccine. 

As noted in an NHS letter to PCN sites, a laptop with GP IT clinical systems including EMIS, TPP, Vision and Microtest will be given to each site. This allows staff to access each patient's Summary Care Records and the appointment book for each clinic.  

Though much smaller in scale, with around 14 million vaccines administered each year, and with a focus on the medically vulnerable, the closest comparable programme to the current COVID-19 effort in the UK is NHS’ winter flu vaccination service. Here, recent developments also point to the benefits of adapting existing technology to increase accuracy and efficiency for healthcare services, and could set an example for the COVID-19 vaccine roll out. 

In November 2020, NHS Digital revealed a service which sends information about flu vaccinations electronically from pharmacies to GP practices had been expanded ahead of winter, which would see more people being offered the jab. Reducing the risk of sending duplicate appointment requests and ensuring information is up to date across the board, it’s essential for a scheme of its scale. Such technology could also prove useful for COVID-19, with two subsequent jabs and appointments required in order to be effective.

Ahead of its winter flu vaccination push, an applications manager at NHS Lanarkshire was tasked with finding a technical solution to re-book patients who missed or were unable to attend their previously booked appointments. At just over a month into the UK’s COVID-19 programme, regions are already reporting instances of missed appointments, highlighting the importance of developing an accurate re-booking system as part of its efforts too. 

In Lanarkshire, GP sites weren’t being used for the flu vaccination programme, meaning they had no access to their technology, and the Board also didn’t have access to the primary booking system that plans each initial appointment on a national scale. There was no existing solution.Timescales were tight, leading to the need to using existing tech and BookWise Outpatients, software that’s previously used to manage scheduling within the Outpatients department at the Health Board, was chosen. 

While BookWise Outpatients provides slots for each clinical room available, the team used the software to instead allocate a vaccination lane to each ‘room’ instead. A call centre and mailbox was created to be used by patients needing to rebook, with each member of the booking team having access to the software. Specific lanes were linked to the system to view available time slots and re-book appointments, offering 15-minute sessions to enable accurate planning. To date, the Board has a total of 380 rooms with the BookWise software, expanding its use of the technology by over 220 rooms for the vaccination programme alongside Outpatient requirements.

There’s never been a pandemic like Covid-19 in recent history, meaning there’s not yet set guidelines for battling it. The ongoing efforts have been the result of fast-paced innovation and clever use of resources, showcased by the early use of Pinnacle and Sonar in the UK’s vaccination scheme already. Though the end now seems closer in sight for the UK, the final push of the country’s vaccination scheme and the first stages of Europe’s may require further dives into existing health-tech toolkits to drive efficiency and a successful programme.