During the last days we are hearing very good news related to the COVID-19 vaccine and the race to get it, it seems that every day they are closer to being commercialized. In today’s post we will explain the importance of ice in the transport and storage of delicate products such as vaccines.
In this type of highly sensitive merchandise, it is crucial that the cold chain is not broken during transport and subsequent storage, since if the temperature is not kept constant throughout the process, the vaccines will lose their properties and have no effect. To achieve this goal, pharmaceutical companies use ice.
The delicate transport of vaccines
The United States is already preparing to distribute 600 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the coming months.
The most advanced countries in the search for the COVID-19 vaccine plan to use large planes to transport the millions of doses of vaccines that will have to be delivered in a very short time.
Inside the planes, and to maintain the cold chain, the plan is to use thermal containers the size of a suitcase with dry ice. This carbon dioxide is an economical solution that allows maintaining a low temperature for a long time.
On the other hand, they are also testing containers with liquid nitrogen to reach a temperature of 150 degrees below zero.
Crushed ice: the best solution for transport
Another solution is to use crushed ice for their conservation. As it is a more humid ice, it is ideal for the transport of products and goods that need a low temperature for a long time.
Crushed ice, also called granular, is made up of thousands of micro crystals. Its diminutive size allows it to cover a greater amount of surface and cool quickly. Furthermore, ice, unlike other refrigeration systems, allows the temperature to be kept strictly constant.
Another advantage of ice for storage is that it allows working with small volumes of samples directly on the bench instead of moving to refrigerated chambers, which is much more comfortable for the researcher.
The use of crushed ice is widespread in other industries such as supermarkets, transport of fish and other perishable products, but in recent years its use has grown in other sectors such as pharmaceuticals, laboratories, hospitals and in therapeutic treatments to reduce pain.
Therefore, crushed ice like the one made by the ICE QUEEN ice machines is the best way to preserve delicate products such as vaccines or perishable foods during the transport of the merchandise since it allows to cool quickly, evenly and for a prolonged period of time.
