WHO Africa Regional Director "Serious Cold Chain Issues Expected"
Must Maintain Cooling Below -70°C...Not Possible with Standard Frozen Transport
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed high expectations for the efficacy of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine being developed by Pfizer, but concerns have been raised regarding distribution issues. The 'messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)' vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna require ultra-low temperature storage below minus 70 degrees Celsius, making distribution via standard refrigerated vehicles challenging.
On the 10th (local time), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, attending the World Health Assembly held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, commented on the Pfizer vaccine, stating, "It is a very promising treatment, and we hope vaccinations will begin worldwide by the end of the year," adding, "We hope for as equitable a distribution as possible." Earlier, Pfizer announced that the COVID-19 vaccine co-developed with the German company BioNTech showed over 90% efficacy in interim results of Phase 3 clinical trials, raising hopes for COVID-19 eradication.
During the assembly, distribution issues related to the Pfizer vaccine were also raised. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, who attended the assembly, pointed out, "In warmer climates and regions with long travel distances such as parts of Africa and Asia, serious cold chain problems are expected during vaccine distribution," adding, "We need to discuss not only support for the vaccine itself but also how to support distribution issues going forward." The mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna must be transported while maintaining ultra-low temperatures below minus 70 degrees Celsius, making transportation difficult with standard refrigerated vehicles that typically maintain temperatures around minus 20 degrees Celsius.
In developed countries such as those in Europe, large logistics companies are preparing vaccine transportation in consultation with governments and pharmaceutical companies. According to CNBC, Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post, Germany's largest logistics company, stated at a press conference that "there will be no failure in vaccine distribution due to logistics issues," and that they are consulting with pharmaceutical companies and governments on the details necessary to maintain the cold chain. In Italy, preparations for storage and distribution management are reportedly underway centered around the military. However, extremely poor countries in Africa and Asia are expected to face significant difficulties in maintaining the cold chain due to the enormous costs involved.
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