We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • ::COVID-19 COVERAGE::
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • Upload your video
  • BLOGS & MORE
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • SCQ Forum
      • Reflections
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • Upload your video
  • BLOGS & MORE
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • SCQ Forum
      • Reflections
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Logistics of the COVID-19 vaccine: a lot left to work out
PERSPECTIVE

Logistics of the COVID-19 vaccine: a lot left to work out

Most of us will not have access to a vaccine until at least the middle of next year. That’s partly because our current medical supply chains aren’t equipped for a rollout of this scale and complexity.

October 19, 2020
David Maloney
No Comments

We’ve heard a lot about the race to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, which hopefully will be ready for approval around the end of this year. However, just because there is a vaccine doesn’t mean it will be widely distributed right away. Most of us will not have access to a vaccine until at least the middle of next year.

There are many reasons why it will take much longer than we all hope, including the fact that much of the distribution planning can’t even begin until we know which vaccine candidates will be approved. A further complication is that the various vaccines have different handling requirements.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) will coordinate U.S. distribution. The plan is to allocate vaccines to all 50 states, with the state health departments responsible for overseeing distribution from there. So far, states have responded quite differently to the pandemic. We can expect their distribution approaches to be widely disparate as well.

While the manufacture of leading candidates is beginning even before government approval, distribution will not ramp up as quickly. Most will be handled by current medical supply chains, which will expand some, but what is required is still light-years beyond their capacities. It’s unlikely that supply chain infrastructure not already associated with established and trusted medical channels will be incorporated into the distribution of the vaccine. Few distributors will invest in infrastructure they won’t use once the pandemic subsides.

A key factor is that at least two of the leading candidates require that vaccines remain at -70º C (-94º F) at all times. Even our current medical distribution models aren’t equipped for this. For instance, most of the doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and clinics that routinely distribute flu vaccines cannot maintain vaccines at these temperatures.

Such stringent requirements will limit the scale of distribution. And scale is a huge problem. There are 330 million Americans and 7.6 billion people in the world, all needing a vaccine. Most of the vaccines will require two doses. We don’t even know yet how long a vaccine is effective. Will we all require a yearly vaccine as with the flu shot? These are many of the unknowns that affect supply chains.

Actual distribution will follow allocation guidelines developed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. There will be four phases, with initial doses going to health care workers, first responders, and those with serious health issues or living in nursing facilities. The second phase targets teachers, those in prisons and homeless shelters, essential workers, and people with other underlying conditions. Most Americans will not receive a dose until Phase 3 or 4.

It’s a simple matter of demand exceeding supply and capabilities. Don’t expect much change in our lives for quite some time yet.

  • Related Articles

    It’s time to prepare for health care’s biggest logistics challenge ever

    The times that try our supply chains

    A wild ride

David Maloney is editorial director of CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly.

Recent Articles by David Maloney

The price of loyalty

It’s time to prepare for health care’s biggest logistics challenge ever

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • The 3PL industry: time to reset

  • Resiliency starts with supplier mapping

  • Freight market growth expected to slow in 2021

  • Retailers designing stores to support inventory and logistics work, not just shopping

  • Seizing the helm

Featured Video

6cabd6ef 64df 4460 bb11 e90c2bdea0a5

Identifying Intralogistics Solutions to Fit Your Operation: LinkedIn Live Ep. 4

Viewer Contributed
As technology evolves, the advantages of using semi- and fully automated solutions to increase productivity and address labor shortages are clear. However, before an organization jumps fully into automation, optimization is a key step that must happen first. Intralogistics solutions, such as Raymond’s iWAREHOUSE and...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Warehouse Management System Project Toolkit

  • Solving Talent Management Challenges Now and In the Future

  • Shaping Up Last Mile Delivery to Surpass Customer Expectations

  • Finding the Right Transportation Management Partner

View More

Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

Get Your Subscription
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • E-NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2021. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing