COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca are starting to enter the global supply chain, giving hope to a world that has seen the worst effects of the pandemic and lockdowns. Now, governments and health officials are beginning to work on a unique problem – an efficient ultracold supply chain required to safely store and distribute the vaccines. Pfizer’s vaccine must be stored at about minus 75 degrees Celsius.
Health officials are now looking at a unique solution from the frozen ice-cream maker Dippin’ Dots.
Dippin’ Dots’ the self-proclaimed “Ice Cream of the Future” was invented by a microbiologist in 1988 and maintains its characteristic beaded form only if stored at -49 degrees Fahrenheit.
Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
In a Popular Science article, Maddie Bender describes the problem “Standard freezers are set to bottom out at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, which is significantly warmer than the temperature Dippin’ Dots have to be stored, according to Dippin’ Dots Chief Development Officer Stan Jones. Still, the company manages to ship their product on a massive scale—while 2020 sales have been down about 50% due to the shuttering of theme parks and stadiums, a typical year sees around 100 million servings sprinkled across the globe.”
Dippin’ Dots seems to be poised to help with their Cryogenics know-how and posted a statement from its CEO on its website
“The impact COVID-19 has on businesses across the world, including Dippin’ Dots, has obviously created drastic changes in the market and consumer habits. The need for businesses to adapt with unprecedented strategic alternatives is more important than ever. We feel lucky that because of our diversification due to the cryogenics business, our brand has been able to sustain the sales hit better than anticipated,” said Scott Fischer, CEO of Dippin’ Dots. “During this challenging time, we strategically supplemented our brand with the additional revenue stream from the cryogenics business. We know there’s a bright future for more applications and that it’s a win-win for Dippin’ Dots when it comes to the strength of our company.”
Experts are working on various aspects of the complex supply chain, distribution, storage and administration of vaccines. According to logistics management, Delta Airlines and United Airlines have respectively received FAA approval related to dry ice transport, with Delta obtaining FAA approval to double the allowed load of dry ice on its Airbus A330 and A350 wide-body jets.
Vaccines must eventually be be stored on-site in a hospital or a pharmacy until ready to be administered. Vaccine distributors, pharmacies and hospitals, have even reached out to Dippin’ Dots about renting equipment, since two of its freezer models would be cold enough for the Pfizer vaccine.
The post How to transport millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine? Learn from “cold chain” used by Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream first appeared on myDigitalStartup.
