As we prepare to put the coronavirus pandemic behind us, it’s become clear that widespread and rigorous Covid-19 vaccine programs will play a very indispensable role. Even more important, the recovery from the pandemic must be supported by large-scale use of advanced data and monitoring technologies, which can ensure that the vaccine reaches the right people at the right time, in the right conditions.
And that’s where temperature data loggers will have a critical role to play. These nifty pieces of temperature-monitoring equipment have seen a dramatic leap in technology, features, and capacity in the last few years. So, they are well-equipped to stand up to the challenge of making sure billions of doses of potent Covid-19 jabs end up safely in the hands of people around the world.
Let’s talk about temperature data loggers and why their value to the Covid-19 vaccine rollout is absolute.
The Unique Covid-19 Vaccine Cold Chain Challenges
Much has already been told about the need for certain Covid-19 vaccines to be made, shipped, and stored at ultra-cold temperatures. Perhaps the BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna variants are the two most talked-about coronavirus vaccines when it comes to the ultra-freezing storage requirement.
You see, carriers and logistics companies are well-equipped and experienced in cold supply chains of traditional vaccines like flu shots that must be stored and transported at a standard temperature range of between 2°C and 8°C.
However, mRNA-based vaccines like the BioNTech / Pfizer are a different kettle of fish. They must be stored at extremely low temperatures between -80°C and -60°C to maintain optimal potency and efficacy. These ultra-cold conditions will keep fragile ingredients of the mRNA-based vaccines from falling apart for up to 6 months.
But, once they’re broken out of the dry ice packs, the vaccine must be stored in a freezer at a temperature range of -25°C to -15°C for up to 14 days, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Even Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Covid-19 vaccine, which doesn’t require ultra-freezing storage, can be kept at average cold supply chain temperatures of between 2°C and 8°C for only up to six hours.
No matter the kind, if vaccine batches are exposed to temperatures outside of their recommended range, the heat introduced into the freezer or storage box will break down the fragile components, rendering the vaccine ineffective and thus unusable.
While vaccine spoilage and wastage due to inadequate temperature controls and other logistical problems are not new to the industry, the need to address the issue is now more critical than ever. After all, we cannot afford to lose more precious Covid-19 vaccines — as we’ve recently witnessed in countries like France where around 25 percent of the delivered Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine went to waste, especially now when dire vaccine shortages are being reported around the world.
Closer to home, numbers from 10 states reveal that well over 1 million Covid-19 doses have gone to waste since vaccine rollout kicked off in the U.S. According to the New York Times, the culprits for coronavirus vaccine wastage range from transportation and storage issues to equipment breakage and expiration.
It goes to show that constant monitoring of vaccine temperature and other environmental factors is crucial at every step of the vaccination process. We must keep an eye on every Covid-19 vaccine, every storage facility, every box, every refrigerator, every vaccination station, and every piece of shipping equipment.
And that’s shining the spotlight only on the Covid-19 vaccine cold supply chain. We must also consider the timely supply of all stabilizing agents, syringes, vials, and everything else that’s needed for the end-to-end vaccine rollout process.
Digital Temperature Data Loggers to the Rescue
The need for constant monitoring to ensure the vaccines are kept at ultra-cold temperatures poses a unique challenge to cold chain managers. For one, you can’t simply open the door of the cold box or freezer every time you want to check the temperatures. That would let in heat and end up degrading the fragile components of the vaccine.
That’s why everyone, from doctor’s offices to big-box pharmacies like Walgreens, has switched to automated temperature data loggers. The intelligent temperature sensors are placed inside the transport equipment or freezer to continuously keep track of vaccine temperature in transit and storage.
But temperature data collected by the loggers must be accessed and analyzed to ensure that vaccines are always in the right conditions. In the past, you’d have to use a USB flash dish or plug the data logged physically into a computer to retrieve the data so that personnel can inspect the temperature records for anomalies and cold chain breaches.
Thankfully, device companies like Dickson have come up with next-gen, cloud-based wireless cold chain data loggers. A set of these compact devices sit side by side with vaccines inside freezers or transport containers, continuously transmitting temperature data to cold chain managers, pharma companies, and clients.
According to Dickson, today’s data loggers are versatile and can be configured to not only transmit temperature data wirelessly but can also integrate with software applications for easy analysis, storage, and documentation. Some state-of-the-art digital data loggers can also double up as alarms, capable of sending out customized alerts via text, phone call, or email.
Because of the cloud connection, anyone with permission can access the monitoring data on vaccine temperature at any time, from anywhere, and using any internet-connected device, be it a computer, tablet, or mobile. Thanks to this setup, any damaging event (such as a breach of the cold chain) can be detected and quickly rectified before the vaccine starts to degrade.
Conclusion
Rolling out Covid-19 vaccinations has not been an easy walk in the park. Countries and pharmaceutical companies have to manage cold chain logistics of millions of Covid-19 jabs, all while battling widespread vaccine shortages, hesitancy, and misinformation. Data logger technology can help them ensure the successful delivery of safe and effective coronavirus vaccines by monitoring temperature every step of the way.
