The invisible work in the vaccine roll-out

Jason Webb, director at Electronic Temperature Instruments (ETI) explores the work going into keeping Covid-19 vaccines at a stable temperature for transport. 

We are seeing incredible progress in the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines. We are on track for all adults in the UK to have been offered the vaccine by July. Researchers and healthcare workers are rightfully being celebrated for all their work but if there is one thing the global pandemic has highlighted, it is how interconnected we are. Global travel, networks of research, and international support and PPE provision have been at the heart of keeping things ticking over and this is just as true in getting people around the world vaccinated. The UK is one country leading the way in vaccine roll-out but this brings with it the challenge of transportation.

The vaccine supply chain

Like many vaccines, the Covid-19 is temperature sensitive. It would be easy to assume that the roll-out of the vaccine simply requires a scale-up of current infrastructure. After all, all vaccines need transportation from laboratories to health clinics, and the pandemic brought a surge in demand for refrigerated and frozen food deliveries. But this vaccine has presented unusual challenges. The majority of vaccines require temperatures between +2 and +8 degrees Celsius. Frozen food delivery typically requires temperatures around -20 degrees Celsius. In contrast, several of the leading Covid-19 vaccines will require ultra-low temperatures, in some cases as low as -80 degrees Celsius. Maintaining these temperatures requires the use of liquid nitrogen or dry ice. With many working from home, the number of commuters around the world has decreased drastically. This means that demand for fuels such as ethanol has decreased. Naturally, providers have cut costs and reduced their production. However, carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a key by-product of ethanol production. It is captured and sold on to be used in the carbonation of food and drinks, but it is also used to make dry ice. Alongside this fall in production, the increase in home food deliveries has seen the demand shoot up. As such, the recent months have seen a shortage of CO₂.

Keeping the vaccine stable

This challenging cold-chain supply will require safety measures. If the vaccine is not kept at these cold temperatures, it will become ineffective. Those given an ineffective vaccine may believe they are immune and fail to take precautions.

As such, monitoring is used as a vital safety measure. Indeed, the speed at which the vaccine is being distributed within the UK is a testament to the monitoring industry. Just a decade ago, safe effective distribution of vaccines on such a scale would have been virtually impossible even at standard vaccine temperatures.

Until recently, temperature monitoring was carried out manually every few hours. Someone would have to enter the insulated container, opening the doors and letting in potentially damaging amounts of heat. If something went wrong between measurements, a few hours was more than enough time for many of the vaccines to be lost before the next measurement was taken. However, measuring any more regularly would slow transit, ultimately increasing the demand for the resources such as dry ice that are required to keep the vaccines cool. Vaccines also have a limited lifespan so more time in transit limits their shelf-life once they arrived at the medical centre. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 50% of vaccines worldwide are wasted each year. A great number of these are lost due to inefficient delivery and storage.

Wireless data loggers have revolutionised the market. They monitor and record the temperatures in both storage and transport facilities and relay it in real-time. Access to real-time data is vital. WiFi-enabled data loggers transmit data via the cloud to be stored on local devices. They allow for immediate action to be taken if any issue arises with cooling equipment.

Additional care

To further reduce risk in these systems, a level of redundancy is built in. All recordings are backed up and operators will receive live data at regular intervals. This means that if one sensor fails to provide a result or gives an unreliable readout, the issue will be picked up on as quickly as possible. Many loggers also utilise two sensors in a single device so that imprecise read-outs are obvious.

These loggers are designed to be user-friendly as well as reliable. After all, supply chains rely on well-managed partnerships and vital technology should be accessible throughout the industry. Cost also plays a part in making this technology accessible. The overall cost of the data logger may be more than that of the device itself as software and batteries will all need to be accounted for. While these may seem like small elements, at the level of worldwide distribution, offering competitive costs for reliable hardware will be incredibly valuable.

WHO has reported that 65% to 70% of people will need to be immune to Covid-19 to break the chain of transmission. Transporting vaccines to 70% of the global population is an unimaginably vast task. Many people live in rural and inaccessible areas and one fifth of children globally are still not protected by even the most basic vaccines. 2020 was a year that brought challenges but also demonstrated that we are innovative and creative in the face of such a challenge. 2021 will be a year of scaling up this innovation. Working in supply chains is a challenging but immensely rewarding place to be as we have the opportunity to see this innovation as it takes place.

The continuous development and falling cost of technology is opening doors that many would have thought impossible only a few years ago. Certainly, the speed at which this vaccine was developed is a demonstration of that. Now, as this technology becomes streamlined and user-centric, it is becoming accessible to those that need it. Thanks to such processes, an end to the pandemic is in sight.