Vaccine Research, Lack of Freezers, Dry Ice, Olympics, Production Ramp-up Capacity, Different Vaccines Vs. Different Temperature Storage, Manufacturer Vs. Reseller, Frontline Workers Pre & Post Vaccination Training!! Look at different Chains to make 7 billion Population Vaccinated! It is going to be World’s Largest Supply Chain Case Study! Read this Perspective!!

Dear Friends and Students

Last Year, front-line workers, police personnel, and government officers were working day-and-night to arrest the Covid Spread! In the latter part of the year, bio-scientists across the world devoted their time to make the Vaccine. Today freezer manufactures are working round the clock to supply freezers/containers to meet the time-bound demand.

A couple of months back, all countries were busy making Research, Trails and Finally Production! While we were reeling on this, the next issue that came up is for Freezers! Why they are so important? The storage of the Vaccine depends on the temperature they need to be kept to retain its potency.

Pfizer BioNtech’s Vaccine has to be kept between -60c to -90c. Many countries do not have cold storage capacities at this temperature. Moderna has to be kept at -20c. They are also allowed between +2 to +8! India did Polio Vaccination at -20 c. Sputnik has to be kept at -10c. AstraZeneca, Covishield, and Covaxin are to be kept between+2 +8.

Freezer production in multiple temperature conditions is the biggest challenge now. Kanou Reiki, a Japanese freezer seller is working hard to meet the capacity. The current capacity is at 20 units a day. “Customers will have to wait at least until April if they place orders now”: Now you can imagine the hurdles for vaccination.

India is planning 29,000 cold chain points, 240 walk-in coolers, 70 walk-in freezers, 45,000 ice-lined refrigerators, 41,000 deep freezers, and 300 solar refrigerators for the COVID-19 vaccine storage (weather.com)

Nobody made a billion doses so far. Nobody transported in such temperature-dependent containers and conditions! Companies are learning. Governments are Investing. Production is not about some chemical processes. In this case, Production depends on a biological ingredient. This thinking is critical for smooth operation.

On top of this, Japan has kept a target to vaccinate all medical staff before July 23, the day Olympics starts!! The devastating Japanese economy rose quickly from the ashes of World War II. Japan proved it multiple times so as this time.

The lesson for the critics is to understand this inter-linked supply chain process before making a few lose comments on the Vaccine production process!

Your Well-wisher

Ravi Saripalle

Join Inspire to Innovate Storytelling Movement (i2itm.blogspot.com)

wtov9.com/news/coronavirus/why-its-hard-to-make-vaccines-and-boost-supplies

www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/japan-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-logistic-hurdles-medical-staff-14049984

indianexpress.com/article/explained/covid-19-vaccine-storage-optimal-temperature-cold-chain-india-explained-quixplained-7063369/

Source Inspiration: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/01/28/national/science-health/freezer-production-increase/