Modern vaccines are not made to be transported as cold as the competitor from Pfizer.
But when Apoteket AB was to deliver 2,100 doses to Gävleborg, Dalarna, Värmland, Halland and Östergötland, that was exactly what happened.
According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, there are no health risks, but the use of Moderna's vaccine has been suspended until it has been investigated whether what happened may have rendered the vaccine ineffective.
In Sweden's municipalities and regions, developments are closely monitored:
- We have had contact with other regions to give them an opportunity to check so that something similar has not happened, says Emma Spak, section manager at the section for health and medical care.
"It is important that the authorities get to the bottom of this"
She hopes to get a quick answer about whether the vaccine's functionality has been affected.
- It is important that the authorities get to the bottom of this and come out with recommendations to the regions.
Do you think this can cause public concern?
- I hope not.
This has been discovered in connection with the very earliest deliveries, which means that you can fix the problem and make it clear how this vaccine should be handled, says Emma Spak and continues:
- You have to make sure that you get a working cold chain for the deliveries, but it should not be a problem because you are used to taking care of this.
Is there any reason to believe that more regions have been affected?
- It is difficult to speculate, but what is important is that the regions' vaccine coordinators have drawn each other's attention to this problem.
This means that other regions can ensure that they do not have similar problems.