‘We have enough sub-zero storage for vaccine’

A LEADING Irish pharmaceutical logistics firm has moved to reassure the public there will be no storage capacity issues over Covid-19 vaccines which need to be kept at sub-zero temperatures as they are distributed.

Q1 Scientific chief executive Stephen Delaney insisted that if public and private bodies work together, Ireland will have more than sufficient specialised storage capacity for some of the coronavirus vaccines which need to be carefully stored at temperatures as low as -70C.

Two of the vaccines about to be rolled out globally – by Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna – are revolutionary new types of vaccines which do not utilise a live virus sample.

Both pharmaceutical firms are developing special freezer storage vans for their global distribution.

The Pfizer vaccine, manufactured in Belgium, can only be taken out of -70C storage four times before it is administered to a patient. Q1 Scientific, based in Waterford, said Ireland has the expert capacity to handle the distribution.

“Cold chain distribution in pharma is complicated even in normal times and right now Ireland will need to make available its cold chain capacity to accommodate deliveries of the Covid-19 vaccine,” Mr Delaney said.

“However, if public services and the private sector all come together there won’t be capacity storage issues.”

The firm stores pharmaceutical samples at specific temperatures for 11 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies.

“Our track record gives us confidence in our ability to be part of the solution for Ireland right now, we have honed an expertise in the field of stability storage for pharmaceutical and life sciences companies over the last seven years,” he told