Toll Group is helping lead a global response for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout as part of two World Economic Forum working groups.
Global logistics leaders are preparing for significant challenges as prominent biopharmaceutical companies bring COVID-19 vaccines closer to reality.
Toll Group says distribution of the vaccine is “arguably the most complex healthcare distribution activities in history”.
It involves billions of people, in prioritised groups, irrespective of location in metropolitan, regional and remote locations, needing to be vaccinated over a relatively short time.
“How we distribute the vaccine in Australia – a vast continent with highly urbanised areas as well as a sparse population spread far and wide over a range of climatic conditions may provide some insights to others,” the company says.
“These natural challenges are increased for vaccines that have sensitive temperature stability regimes, such as the Pfizer’s vaccine which requires its -70 degrees Celsius cold chain to be maintained up to the point of vaccination.”
Deakin University Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics industry professor and director Dr Hermione Parsons says the supply chain and logistics challenges worldwide and for Australia are “unprecedented”.
Successful distribution will rest on companies with a “firm and expansive industry footing, as well as sophisticated systems and the right end-to-end cold chain protections,” Parsons says.
The World Health Organisation is recommending nations take a forward view on procurement of vaccines, identifying logistics players, and assessing ramp-up capabilities. Production may originate onshore or offshore and need cross-border coordination; providers will need to scale systems fast.
Toll Group managing director Thomas Knudsen and Toll Global Logistics president Peter Stokes are members of two working groups convened by the World Economic Forum to discuss the distribution of the vaccine to less-developed nations.
The company’s healthcare, operations and strategy teams in Australia are working closely with specialist supply chain partners to plan for a complex rollout.
Toll’s healthcare general manager Phillip Milling says the company is providing expert logistics advice about the options for cold-chain supply for healthcare cargo to both state and federal health departments.
“Within our own organisation we’re creating implementation plans for scaling existing models and resources, expanding our cold chain capabilities to ensure vaccine integrity, and boosting staff capabilities and qualifications.
“It’s all about preparedness and being ready for that first vaccine distribution, whatever that may look like.”
Getting the vaccine out, fast
The key to a successful COVD-19 response will be speed and the key to a speedy rollout is good planning, the company says.
Logistics providers and health authorities around the world are working together making plans now to build systems that are flexible and responsive because we will almost certainly use different vaccines with different cold chain requirements.
Those in the population most at risk will be priority and rollout plans will need to be adjusted as conditions change. For example, if there is an outbreak of COVID-19 virus, then it may need to direct vaccines from one area another.
Cold-chain supply keeping vaccines viable
Handling COVID-19 vaccines depend on the vaccine types, and how and where it’s produced.
Cold-chain supply chains will be vital to moving vaccines and reducing spoilage.
Specialised healthcare cold-chain supply means keeping the vaccine at a controlled and consistent temperature throughout transport, storage and distribution.
Vaccines must be maintained at specified temperatures. Depending on the vaccine the temperature requirements can be less than -70 degrees Celsius, less than -20 degrees Celsius or between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, which is a common temperature range. If a vaccine falls outside its designed temperature zone, it can breakdown and become unsuitable for use.
Cold-chain supply covers everything from temperature controlled cool rooms and freezers, to 24/7 monitoring, and the tricky situations that can come from transporting vaccines at a consistent temperature across global climates and changes in weather.
Vaccines by the numbers
The Federal Department of Health forecasts that 40-50 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are likely to be needed across Australia. Compared to the flu vaccination rates of about 12 million vaccines.
Existing vaccination systems are already stretched in flu season. According to Toll’s head of innovation and product development, Peter Carney, it is likely that mass vaccination centres will need to be established to address these volumes. There is considerable complexity in that, as the right number of people need to be marshalled to the right place, together with the right number of vaccines, syringes, needles and personal protective equipment. Then one month later this has to be repeated, as immunisation from COVID will require two doses.
‘Most complex product launch in history’
In Australia, if vaccines are not available until mid-year, the vaccination rates will be in the order of many millions per month to vaccinate the entire population in 2021. Globally, it will be near a billion doses per month to get the job done.
Toll Group says it’s experience in Australia may be useful in other parts of the world to achieve the mammoth task.
It routinely ships vaccines to remote, tropical areas in insulated, cooled shippers. Toll alone has a well-developed supply chain and is responsible for nearly a third of all healthcare deliveries in Australia. This includes the most remote corners of the country such as Toll Group’s delivery of vaccines from Broome to Thursday Island using hybrid solutions across air, land, and sea.
“There are many areas of the world that lack reliable infrastructure (and therefore reliable refrigeration) and these kinds of methods may be the only way COVID vaccines can be delivered.
“Preserving the integrity of vaccines from production to supply is highly specialised work. The stakes surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine couldn’t be higher, as we need to build supply chains at speed so that we can rollout vaccines at pace.
“It is the most complex product launch in history,” the company says.
