The most promising vaccine poses a conservation challenge

Although the world is celebrating positive news from Pfizer and BioNTech about the efficacy of the covid-19 vaccine, it may not get to the public anytime soon. The reason for this is the complex and super cold requirements of the vaccine. The main problem is that a vaccine based on a new technology that uses synthetic mRNA to activate the immune system against the virus must be kept at -80 degrees Celsius or below. This requirement will limit the place of use of the vaccine.

However, a vaccine that could be 90% effective is very attractive, regardless of the distribution challenges. But it is said that even the most modern hospitals in the US will face storage problems, and even more problems will be in rural or poor countries where they have limited resources. “The cold chain will be one of the most challenging aspects of the distribution of this vaccine”,and said Amesh Adalja s Center Johns Hopkins. “This will be a challenge in all respects, as hospitals don’t even have vaccine storage facilities in those cities at such low temperatures.”

Pfizer works closely with the US government and government officials on how to ship vaccines from distribution centers in the US, Germany, and Belgium around the world. The detailed plan includes the use of dry ice to transport frozen vaccine vials both by air and by land at recommended temperatures for up to 10 days. In an ultra low temperature freezer, the vaccine can be stored for up to six months and at 2-8 degrees Celsius, a type of refrigerator commonly available in hospitals, for up to five days. Pfizer containers can be filled with ice for up to 15 days. But the vaccine will break in about five days at normal cooling temperatures slightly above freezing. Companies are now looking into whether they can extend this two-week period.

And what about the distribution and storage of this medicine in our country? The Ministry of Health announced that the manufacturer of the covid-19 vaccine, BioNTech / Pfizer, is also preparing a technical specification focusing on the distribution of the vaccine from the place of production to the point of receipt in the Member States and on the storage conditions at the time of distribution of the vaccine.“Due to the difficult storage conditions of this vaccine, an implementation plan for each of the required activities is already being prepared, including a list of equipment that will need to be provided in a timely manner for this purpose,”they added and explained that so far in Slovenia we have not had a vaccine for which storage conditions at -80 degrees Celsius should be provided. However, most EU Member States do not have this experience, “Therefore, additional activities are underway to establish appropriate conditions in a timely manner, including at EU level, which supports this process through information exchange between Member States and through joint procurement.”

Prof. dr. Borut Strukelj of the Faculty of Pharmacy of Ljubljana explained that in most hospitals, some larger pharmacies and research units we have crates – 80 degrees Celsius, but not all of them are suitable for storing vaccines, as they must contain a temperature record and a additional protection system in case of temperature increase.