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Without a doubt, 2020 was an unusual year. The SARSCoV-2 pandemic reshaped how we work, live, learn, and
interact at every level. The global response, however,
was unprecedented. The imperative to contain the virus
pushed the vaccine industry into the public spotlight and
the outcome was disruptive: a new generation of vaccines
emerged that has redefined immunisation strategies.
A New Era in Vaccine Storage
Vaccines based on novel mRNA and viral vector
technologies are in line to bring the world back to
normalcy. Developed, tested, and approved in record time,
these vaccines have changed how industry produces,
manages, and – above all – moves immunisations through
the cold chain from manufacturing sites to anxiously
waiting end users. Within the span of just 11 months,
the transport and storage of vaccines at -70°C became
a global priority. Before last year, ultra-low temperature
(ULT) had only been used for the highly localised delivery
of trial vaccines during Ebola outbreaks.
Until now, most vaccines were commonly stored between
2°C and 8°C worldwide. Consequently, the existing cold
chain infrastructure built on standard refrigerators and
freezers was insufficient to accommodate these new ULT
storage needs. In anticipation and support of these new
vaccine modes, and facing the largest immunisation
campaign in human history, cold chain infrastructure is
expanding to reach far below sub-zero temperatures and
adding storage facilities to accommodate massive numbers
of doses.
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