This is how the world is gearing up
for the COVID-19 vaccines.
Manufacturing millions of glass vials,
ramping up production of fridges and freezers,
and working out logistics of shipping,
all in an effort to safely deliver the vaccines
from drugmakers to as many people as possible.
German-based company Schott has been
manufacturing glass for more than a century.
Now, it's crunch time.
75% of all COVID vaccine trials around the world
are using their vials.
To meet the growing demand,
their factories are running 24/7.
By the end of next year,
they expect to produce enough vials
to store 2 billion doses.
It is certainly going to be a stretch,
but we think the goal is achievable.
Producing these vials is something
that companies like Schott,
but also others, do on a daily basis million-fold.
Schott uses a special glass
called borosilicate, which is heat-resistant.
And that's crucial, because the vaccines need to stay cool.
Moderna's has to be stored in a normal fridge for a month.
After that, it needs to be kept at colder temperatures.
Pfizer's has to be kept at -94 Fahrenheit.
That's twice as cold as the North Pole.
For Binder, a German family-owned freezer company,
it's an opportunity like no other.
Their freezers can store more than 100,000 doses.
A spokesperson told Insider
that in recent weeks, Binder's production
has increased by about 200%.
Its employees are working around the clock,
and they had to hire additional workers to meet demand.
One of their clients is BioNTech,
a company that has partnered on Pfizer's vaccine
that has been 95% effective in trials
but is still awaiting FDA approval.
Once they receive the green light,
Pfizer plans to ship vaccines in special dry-ice briefcases
that can stay cool for up to 15 days.
These boxes will be placed on 24 trucks a day
from Pfizer's hubs in Michigan and Belgium
and then loaded on planes.
Meanwhile, companies like DHL are scrambling
to prepare ultracold shipping and storage facilities.
In the coming days, this system will be tested
when Pfizer starts sending about 800,000 vaccines to the UK,
the first country to approve it.
Pfizer's vaccine will be taken to hospitals
like this one in Los Angeles with ultracold freezers.
And here's a potential problem.
At least six states in the US,
including California and New Mexico,
have said they expect challenges due
to a limited supply of specialist freezers,
which can cost as much as $15,000 each.
On the other hand, Moderna's vaccine has an advantage.
It can be stored in a regular fridge for a month,
but it can cost up to $17 more per dose than Pfizer's.
Moderna is also seeking FDA approval.
The vaccine has proven 94% effective in recent trials.
While drugmakers in the US
are still figuring out logistics,
around a million people have reportedly
already been injected in China with experimental shots
through an emergency program.
That has alarmed experts, as clinical studies
have supposedly not been completed
and the Chinese government hasn't released
much data on the efficacity of its vaccine.