The vast increase in vaccine production throughout 2020 and 2021 meant the demand for reliable medical fridges also grew rapidly
Here we explore the increase in Vaccine production and medical storage over the pandemic.
Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on vaccine production – and continues to do so.
According to the World Health Organisation, “Approximately 16 billion vaccine doses, worth US$ 141 billion, were supplied in 2021, almost three times the 2019 market volume (5.8 billion) and nearly three-and-a-half times the 2019 market value (US$ 38 billion).”
This increase was driven primarily by COVID-19 vaccines, which demonstrates the incredible potential of how vaccine manufacturing can be scaled up in response to urgent healthcare needs.
The increased demand for medical refrigeration
As we progress through 2022 and into 2023, the surge of requests for dependable vaccine storage shows no signs of slowing down. Medi-Tech Insights state the “global vaccine storage equipment market is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 8-10% by 2026.”
As a result of such demand, a strain was placed on healthcare services globally. However, thanks to new and innovative technology through medical refrigeration, such strain can be eased.
How has medical fridge technology adapted over time?
Medical and pharmacy fridges are now expertly adapted to store temperature-sensitive healthcare products, such as COVID-19 vaccines, at specific temperatures to avoid vaccine degradation.
For refrigerated vaccines, a temperature between 2-80C is needed (also known as the ‘cold chain’), with a preferred average of 50C and minimal temperature fluctuations. Specially designed vaccine refrigerators read and display their internal temperature and feature audio and visual alarms that alert healthcare practitioners of any internal temperature fluctuations or is the door is left open. In addition to these standard industry practices, innovative developments are being made, such as CoolMed’s integrated dual probe temperature monitoring system and power backup – which keeps recording temperature in the event of a power failure, means that healthcare professionals know if medicines need to be thrown or not.
These ‘forward thinking’ features of new medical fridges help to save time and money by solving problems before they arise.
These advancements in vaccine refrigeration technology help relieve the strain on healthcare professionals as they diminishes the manual responsibilities previously demanded of them. Such advancements also enable healthcare professionals to work with the assurance that their vaccine stock is being reliably and accurately stored. The benefits of advanced refrigeration technology will only become more crucial as medicine supplies and demands continue to grow in the coming years.
With the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases globally, the development of medical supplies is not only useful but necessary as they aid the large-scale implementation of vaccination programs.
Across the country, manufacturers are working to address the ever-changing and growing demands of the healthcare industry. British company CoolMed is continuing not only to technologically develop its products but expanding both its domestic and international sales at a rapid rate.
