A nurse prepares to give a man the flu vaccine.
Nourphoto | Nourphoto | Getty Images
The UK was the first country in the world to allow the groundbreaking coronavirus vaccine of Pfizer and Bioentech for widespread use on Wednesday. In a way, it was the easy part.
Now, it aims to take out millions of doses of vaccines with special transport and storage requirements, establish appropriate vaccination sites and deliver the first shots to the most vulnerable members of its population and healthcare workers.
With the vaccination program set to begin next week, it will not be easy for top UK officials to accept the rollout. For example, Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the vaccination program would be “one of the biggest civilian legalistic efforts we have as a nation” while Prime Minister Boris Jones warned that the vaccine administration “has plenty of logistical challenges.”
“Make no mistake, this is a challenging rollout,” investor group Shore Capital’s health analysts Dr Adam Barker and Dr Tara Ravendra said on Wednesday.
“Although the NHS is well versed in vaccine delivery (it delivers approximately 15 million flu vaccines each year as an example), Pfizer / Bioentech candidates have well-flagged characteristics that make it more difficult to deliver.”
Summarizing the logistical challenges posed by the transport and distribution of mRNA-based vaccines – developed at a rapid pace and proven to be 95% effective in preventing Covid-19 infection in late-stage clinical trials – analysts said:
“The candidate no longer needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit) and it will be delivered in a special delivery container, which can hold the product for up to 10 days,” they noted.
“Once the container arrives at the vaccination site, it can be used for temporary storage for a further 300 days (until it is filled with dry ice every five days) and once the vaccine has melted, it can be stored at refrigerator temperature.” -8 degrees C) for five days. “
Pfizer’s vaccines for the UK are coming from the company’s manufacturing site in Purs, Belgium (which will surprisingly be used to supply Europe). Thousands of doses. Which comes in batches of 75 of bat, will be placed in special freezer boxes which will then be shipped or shipped to the UK and distributed to hospital vaccination centers.
‘Preparation, preparation, preparation’
For those accused of delivering the vaccine, the D.H.L. “It’s a matter of preparation, preparation, preparation,” said John Pierce, chief executive of the Express.
German courier DHL already has a “Medical Express” service that specializes in delivering products with specific complex needs, such as the need for constant and constant temperature control. Pearson said the company expects the call “in the very near future” to ask them to get involved in delivering the Pfizer vaccine to the UK.
“We are focused on original selection and destination delivery and make sure it maintains its overall temperature, and that’s part of us and we’re committed to what we do,” he told CNBC’s Squawk Europe on Thursday. CNBC’s Squawk Bux told Europe on Thursday.
Pierce said the logistical challenge is “right in our wheelhouse.”
“Our shipment time of shipment to any of our 220 countries is one to five days. For example, the Pfizer vaccine can maintain a temperature sensitivity of 10 days, so there is also a buffer.”
“Essentially, all we need to do is ensure that we have permission for all hazardous goods, all active loggers on the BNX that make sure the temperature was maintained for the entire trip, and then we deliver it where we were told.” Was. Deliver it. “
When will people be vaccinated?
The UK pre-ordered 40 million doses of Pfizer and Bioentech vaccines – enough to vaccinate 20 million people – but deliveries will not be completed at once.
“Delivery of 40 million doses will take place between 2020 and 2021, with implementation agreements to ensure equal distribution of vaccines in geographic locations,” Pfizer said Wednesday.
“Now that the vaccine has been authorized in the UK, companies will take immediate steps to begin delivery of the vaccine dose. The first dose is expected to arrive in the UK in the coming days, with full delivery in 2021.”
In an indefinite photograph at the Pfizer facility in Purs, Belgium, a worker passes a line of freezers containing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine candidate BNT 162B2.
Pfizer | By Reuters
Health Secretary Hancock told the UK House of Commons on Wednesday that every batch of vaccines would be tested for safety. “I can confirm that batch testing for the first deployment of 800,000 doses of vaccine has been completed this morning.” He told Parliament.
The country’s national health service will begin vaccination next week, but NHS England chief executive, Simon Stevens, insisted on Wednesday that the bulk Vaccination program From January 2021 to March and April “for at-risk populations.”
The government plans to deliver the vaccine through community settings such as “Hospital Hubs” as well as doctors’ surgery at a later stage.
Who gets it first?
Joint Vaccination and Immunization Committee in the UK (JCVI) Decided on Wednesday who believes the first vaccine should be taken“The first priority for any Covid-19 vaccination program should be the protection of Covid-19 mortality and health and social care personnel and systems,” noted.
The priority list is as follows:
- Residents in care homes for the elderly and their caregivers
- She is a health and social care worker aged 80 and over
- He is 75 years old and older
- Those 70 years and older and medically weak individuals
- 65 years and older
- Individuals between the ages of 16 and 64 with an underlying health condition who have an increased risk of serious disease and mortality
- He is 60 years old or older
- He is 55 years and older
- He is 50 years old and older
Shore Capital’s health analysts said they expect to be involved in the rollout across multiple disciplines (from nurses and paramedics, to trained volunteers and veterinarians). On Wednesday, NHS volunteer respondents called for volunteers who could be trained to deliver the vaccine or help those who receive it.
Aside from the need to recruit people to deliver vaccines, other challenges include the need for a robust IT system to track who has been vaccinated. The person will need to be notified when the candidate needs to take the second dose, which comes 21 days after the first dose.
“In addition, Pfizer / Bioentech products must be diluted before saline flow, which is not very common with other vaccines. It is also easy to coordinate all the necessary support components (e.g. syringes, alcohol wipes, gloves) to deliver to the candidate. Run, ”added Barker and Ravendra of Shore Capital.
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