COVID19 Vaccine : Maintaining Cold Chain Is Another Major Challenge For India
New Delhi : India will have to focus on increasing cold chain facilities for the corona vaccine. Experts believe that this is the biggest challenge for India, the world’s second largest population. Satyajit Rath, a scientist at the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, says companies that manufacture vaccines will need additional cold chains on a large scale.
It will also require the help of private sector companies. Only then a safe, effective vaccine can reach people. Some vaccines included in the test may be kept at a certain temperature. In such a situation, when the cold chain breaks down, the situation can worsen until the vaccine reaches the market.
Vaccine needs balanced temperature
Bangalore-based IIS Prof Raghavan Varadarajan says Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccine requires a balanced temperature of refrigeration. If this instruction is not followed, it will be challenging to deliver the vaccine. The vaccine should have an average temperature of two to eight degrees. Once the vaccine is made, it will be clear at what level of temperature it needs.
Moderna-Pfizer requires minus temperature
Pawan Kohli of the National Center for Cold Chain Development says that Moderna’s vaccine should be transported in a temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius and can be kept in temperatures of 2 to 4 degrees for up to 7 days. Similarly, it is necessary to keep Pfizer’s vaccine at minus 70 ° C. The situation of cold storage in the country is limited and not better.
For the effect or quality of the vaccine, it has to be kept at the appropriate temperature. If the vaccine is cooled again after being exposed to hot temperatures, it will not be effective. In order to protect the vaccine, emphasis has to be made on cold chain maintenance. Professor Varadarajan’s team is working on a vaccine kept at 37 degree temperature. For which cold chain is not needed.
Professor Varadarajan says that Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines are a synthetic form of the genetic material of the coronavirus. Which is called RNA. After giving this vaccine, if the person ever comes in the grip of the virus, then his immunity against the virus will be activated.
