вЂњOnce we have clear guidelines from the FDA, they will be published under the emergency use authorization,вЂќ he said. вЂњPassiveвЂќ packaging consists of specialty boxes that can be finely tuned insulators or containers that use dry ice to maintain temperature. вЂњActiveвЂќ packing consists of powered large containers or boxes that contain an air-conditioning unit that is either electrically charged or gas charged so the unit can maintain a certain temperature. These doses will be placed in special packaging or third-party packaging that fall into two categories: active and passive. The critical pieces supporting this chain are the packages and containers that will house the doses and hold them at their critical temperatures during storage and transport. There are also time limits on how long the vaccines can be kept unfrozen or at room temperature. The temperatures of the possible vaccines vary and can be required to be stored at temperatures as low as minus 70 to 80 degrees Celsius. As we know, there are many vaccines in trial, and in the end, you could have one or several given Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals. This cold/cool chain is an extremely delicate balancing act because it requires precise control of the vaccineвЂ™s temperature. If a vaccineвЂ™s temperature strays and becomes warm, that effectiveness is compromised. In medical terms, this is defined as the efficacy of a product. This logistics chain is designed to maintain a productвЂ™s quality from the time it is manufactured until the point of administration. It needs to be transported in whatвЂ™s called a cold or cool chain.

If it gets too warm, the integrity of the vaccine can be compromised and become ineffective. Why? Vaccines are both temperature and UV light sensitive.

The first challenge facing the companies in charge of the transportation of the vaccines is maintaining the vaccineвЂ™s temperature. Saloui has stated in October publicly that all Americans could be immunized by June.вЂќ Mission breakdown Until that happens, based on the estimates we have, I would not disagree with what Dr. This is a function of when the vaccine will be approved and how much production has taken place. So that combined with the ingenuity, the understanding, the innovation of American industry as well as academia, we think this is a magical set bringing all this together allowing us to achieve this mission in a really unprecedented time. вЂњWe know we would not be able to accomplish this mission without the unparalleled expertise of HHS scientists and CDC groundwork, as well as what we consider the DODвЂ™s expertise in planning and logistics. вЂњWe really view this as a вЂwhole-of-America approach,вЂ™вЂќ Sharpsten said. He said the mission is to deliver 300 million doses of a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 by January. Sharpsten is the deputy director for supply, production and distribution for Operation Warp Speed. You also have subcontractors providing logistics support, helping secure both the upstream supply chain raw materials as well as the making of the vaccine supporting equipment. Six have advance orders in production and have 22 manufacturing plants in 13 states and three countries: the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands. UPS Healthcare and FedEx are the major subcontractors.

In addition to McKesson, there will be an army of private and public sector companies providing key logistical and supply chain support. In 2009-10, the company distributed the H1N1 vaccine. This is not McKessonвЂ™s first pandemic-associated logistics mission. 14, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced McKesson would be the centralized distributor. In a world where you can click and swipe your way to instant gratification, understanding the planning and preparation for this historic logistical mission is something that should be told.

Officials at Operation Warp Speed - the joint effort of Health and Human Services, the Defense Department, other federal agencies as well as private industry - said once a vaccine is approved it can be distributed in 24 hours. President Trump, in his rallies and in the first presidential 2020 debate, said the deployment was вЂњlogistically all set upвЂќ using soldiers to deliver вЂњ200,000 a day.вЂќ But is it really that simple? Absolutely not. It must be for messaging and public confidence. In the world of politics, the complicated distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine is greatly simplified. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.

Pfizer operation warp speed