How vaccines are shipped: 5 cold storage chain best practices

Scientists and pharmacists have already helped the human race by discovering life-saving drugs for many years. For issues like COVID-19, they have successfully crossed the challenge to create a vaccine. The next challenge will be to get the vaccine out there to the general population. How will they guide us and logistics providers to keep the vaccines potent as they are moved across the continents. The movement needs to be done to maintain stringent temperature conditions. Already it is a herculean task to manufacture millions and millions of doses for the masses. The next issue is that the vaccine has two doses, which translates into double the effort of getting the vaccines out there. As the doses are manufactured, they will now need to be maintained at extremely cold temperatures. Without a doubt, we need to use the best-in-class temperature monitoring technologies accompanied by the best connectivity options. The existing moving options are vital to handle all possible hindrances in the movement.

Several vaccines constitute the group of pharmaceutical items that need extremely low temperatures for storage. For example, if there is fluctuation in the Pfizer coronavirus vaccines’ holding temperatures, they will lose their potency. Movement from the manufacturing facility all the way to the far-flung locations around the globe is a massive challenge. Small temperature sensors can be fitted onto the consignment crates and boxes. They offer an excellent idea to maintain the said critical extreme conditions. The infrastructure required for vaccine cold chain logistics is already there. There is still a need for tight monitoring in order to ensure the efficient movement of cold vaccines. Various locations and their associated routes have varying weather conditions. The cold supply chain journey is long, and there is a need for storage at the location where the vaccines will be inoculated. Such places will be general hospitals and temporary clinics. But in locations with no such temperature-controlled facilities, the only solution will be to park the cold chain healthtech trucks on site as the vaccines stay inside while being potent. For efficient supply, the vaccine vials will need to be packed into freezing containers, which will be held in freezer boxes and later loaded on to the vehicles. The IoT devices that monitor temperature devices for cold supply chain vaccines will need to maintain intensive temperature monitoring.

The recent technological advancements in temperature control have made subzero storage possible. We should consider ourselves lucky that such advancements have taken place in our lifetime. This has lead to saving endless human lives and spared so many economies from getting devastated. When we look into history, we notice that pandemics have wreaked havoc on every economy worldwide. We are not well equipped to handle such global catastrophes.

The movement of vaccines, especially the Covid-19 vaccine, is supercritical. The thought of losing a single potent vial is a scary one. Every last drop of the vaccine needs to be potent enough to help save precious lives. It is commonly understood that one-fourth of the vaccines manufactured across the world are wasted during movement and storage operations. Vaccines that require cold temperatures for storage and transportation are at the highest levels of risk. The COVID-19 vaccines mandatorily need to be stored at low temperatures. In particular, the Pfizer vaccine must be held at around -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit). Any sort of fluctuation in temperature will mean that the vaccines are rendered totally useless. Any breakdown during transit and change in temperature will be critical to efficient supply. Ultracold temperatures need to be suitably maintained throughout the supply chain. Hence monitoring by use of IoT devices becomes super important.

Shenzhen Eelink Communication Technology Co., Ltd. produces the next generation of internet-connected cold chain healthtech sensors. These small beacons fit onto the transport vehicles as well as cargo crates. They can even be fitted to the freezers. They continuously transmit data on the temperature, humidity, shocks, etc. This data is shared by all the stakeholders – the logistics companies, pharmaceutical client companies, and pharmacy managers. They can easily see any event that may occur in the field. In a case where there is something that seems to compromise the integrity of the packaging. Hence, they can come to know about it immediately. And then corrective action can be taken in the nick of time to save the cargo from getting spoilt. Transport of COVID-9 vaccines has no room for errors. The push to automate temperature sensors by Eelink has seen several companies benefit from it.

5 cold storage chain best practices

1. Maintain Accurate, Up-to-Date Records

Documentation at each and every point in cold chain logistics is of critical importance. This not only ensures proper monitoring it also enables tracking capabilities. The products being moved through the cold chain distribution are universally sensitive to temperature changes. This means that the facilities like cold warehouses and cold refrigerated trucks, vans, etc. maintain an accurate record of the fact that they were kept cold. Many companies deploy IoT devices for monitoring temperature, humidity, GPS location, geofencing, and real-time updates. Technology makes reporting automated and hence easier. Such smart temperature sensors can automatically track the temperature and send out alarm notifications to all stakeholders, calling for corrective action. These IoT devices are therefore connected to databases through cloud servers. The data thus generated at each stage is stored, monitored, and analyzed. Each and every carton and pallet number are associated in the database and can be monitored closely.

Thus an accurate record is kept and made transparent for all stakeholders to see. All stakeholders – manufacturers, logistics providers, warehouse managers, pharmacy managers can view the status through intelligent sensors. Effective monitoring helps in several ways. For example, it can save the manufacturer’s financial future, as recalls can turn out to be costly. Suh advances tech is available right now, and it makes sense for the cold supply chain providers to adopt them at the earliest.

2.Manage the temperatures effectively

This is the most fundamental practice for a cold supply chain, i.e., maintaining the requisite temperature for the vaccine being transported. The storage temperatures must be controlled in each part of the logistic operation. It must remain within the set ranges. For refrigerated products, the temperature has to remain at freezing levels so that no thawing occurs. The flow of cold waves within the truck chassis should be carefully controlled to prevent fluctuations.

3.Provide the workers with suitable equipment

If the employees are comfortable, they are surely going to deliver desired results. Employee comfort is often overcast by the management that is considering frugal ways to keep the product cold. However, it should be understood that employees are critical to the success of the overall operation. They should be provided with suitable coats, insulated pants, gloves, and other equipment to stay warm as they work in cold temperatures. Proper training should also be imparted to ensure proper operation of doors and other openings of the warehouse and the trucks.

4.Use custom equipment

IoT devices are nowadays custom-built, keeping in mind their suitable application. And similarly, the trucks and storage facilities need to be designed accordingly for greater efficiency. The storage compartments should be designed or modified for the cold. Designers should also keep in mind the conditions the workers are exposed to in a cold chain distribution. For example, a touch-screen panel may not work properly under cold conditions. Cold supply chain equipment should be designed with buttons that are large enough to be felt through gloves.

Devices and equipment should withstand the frequent condensation that occurs when devices are moved from one temperature zone to another. Cold also tends to affect the battery life of devices.

5. Automate using the latest tech

Cold supply chain equipment, including refrigerated trucks, are more expensive than other logistics equipment types. This is because high quality insulated equipment is needed to maintain a constant low temperature. Humans working under such harsh conditions will need to be given breaks to regulate their bodies and work with optimum efficiency. This is an opportunity to automate the entire process or a part thereof. Automation can help make the most of the cold storage space available. Automation also has a direct impact on the costs involved. They help in keeping energy costs down by eliminating the possibility of human error.