The challenge in advancing vaccination with the new coronavirus is "transportation" to the vaccination facility.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare allows us to outsource to a carrier, but we have decided to create a guideline for safe transportation because it requires careful handling and we have received inquiries from local governments.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare stores the vaccine of Pfizer, a major American pharmaceutical company, at around minus 75 degrees Celsius in a dedicated freezer at medical institutions, and inoculates it in a refrigerated state of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius as needed. We are asking local governments to transport them to.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare also allows transportation to be outsourced to a carrier within 3 hours in principle, and some local governments are planning to transport by motorcycle or truck.
On the other hand, a Pfizer representative told NHK that "transportation requires careful handling, and there is no data that guarantees quality when transported by motorcycle courier etc. in the unfrozen state, so it is not always recommended." is.
In addition, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has received inquiries about transportation methods from local governments.
For this reason, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to create new guidelines for the safe transportation of vaccines.
We have already started discussions with Pfizer and will show it to local governments and medical institutions by the end of this month (February).
Detailed shipping guidelines in Canada
Some overseas have already set detailed guidelines for the transportation of Pfizer vaccines.
Health officials in Saskatchewan, Canada, say that when transporting thawed vaccines in a refrigerated state, too much impact can compromise quality and affect effectiveness.
For this reason, it says that the distance traveled should be minimized and paved roads should be used instead of gravel roads to minimize impact and vibration on the vaccine.
Health officials in Ontario, Canada, also said that vaccines need to be protected from shock and vibration as much as possible, and should be shipped by trained medical or health center staff or in cold conditions. It should be done by a specialized carrier.