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With COVID vaccines rolling
out across the globe,

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we thought you
might like to know

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exactly how a vaccine makes
its way from the manufacturer

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through distribution and
finally into the hands

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of professional
healthcare workers,

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pharmaceutical companies acquire
the necessary raw materials

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to create their vaccines
through their own manufacturing

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or manufacturing partners.

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Through numerous
calculated steps,

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they create a
formulated bulk vaccine,

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which is then transported
to a filling area

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and dispersed into glass vials.

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Once packaged, single-dose
and multi-dose vaccines

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are stored in a cold
storage facility

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as they await
transport.

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For vaccines that
require refrigeration,

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the temperature must be kept
between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius

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and must be closely monitored
from the point of creation

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all the way through
delivery.

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To protect the integrity of
the vaccine, manufacturers

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deploy cold-chain capabilities.

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Cold-chain is how
the temperature

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of perishable products
are managed in order

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to maintain quality and
safety from end to end

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in the distribution process.

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Cold-chain is
used for many things,

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from ice cream and
other frozen foods,

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to a variety of
medicines and vaccines.

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There are a few different ways
of transporting the vaccines

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while maintaining the
proper temperature,

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but the most common
are refrigerated trucks

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and thermal shippers,
packaging that

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can be loaded with dry ice to
maintain recommended storage

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temperatures for up to 10 days.

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To ensure the integrity
of the cold storage,

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manufacturers use GPS-
enabled thermal sensors

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during the shipping process
that track the location

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and temperature of
each vaccine shipment

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across their pre-set routes.

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Once the vaccines arrive
at their destination,

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there are three main
ways they can be stored.

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If they are to be
used immediately,

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the vaccines can be moved
into a refrigeration

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unit, which are commonly
found in hospitals.

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Here, they can be stored
at the recommended

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temperature for five days.

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Alternatively, the
thermal shippers

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the vaccines arrive in may
be used for temporary storage

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up to 15 days, but
the dry ice needs

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to be replenished every
five days.

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After 15 days in
the thermal shipper,

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the vaccines may be moved
into a refrigeration

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unit for five more days for a
total of 20 days of storage.

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Lastly, upon arrival, vaccines
can be moved into ultra-low

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temperature freezers, which
are commercially available

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and can extend the shelf
life of the vaccine

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up to six months. Once the
vaccine is thawed and stored

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under the recommended
temperature between 2

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to 8 degrees Celsius,

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it cannot be re-frozen and must
be used within five days.

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Now that you know how the supply
chain for the COVID vaccine works,

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we hope you have a
better understanding

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of how the vaccine makes its
way to your town with quality

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and care.