Coronavirus Vaccines: How to Distribute them Effectively with Veracity Protocol
With the new year, FDA approval for various coronavirus vaccines has provided a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. However, there is still work to be done before we can fully overcome this virus. Now that we have developed working vaccines, the challenge is to ensure that they are properly distributed in a safe and efficient manner.
Danger of Counterfeit Vaccines
Unfortunately, the rising demand for vaccines has encouraged many criminals to offer counterfeit vaccines on the dark web and other online marketplaces. In a recent NPR interview, Interpol officials warned of numerous listings on the dark web that seem to offer coronavirus vaccines for ~$400 USD. They warn that these vaccines are either not real or they have not been stored in the proper conditions. The exchange of these counterfeit vaccines in marketplaces poses significant health risks to the public and must be addressed immediately.
The rising demand for vaccines has encouraged many criminals to offer counterfeit vaccines.
Addressing these public health concerns is growingly important to ensure that the general public can trust in the vaccine. According to recent polls and studies, public faith and trust in vaccines has gradually been falling, with many rumors spreading around regarding potential side effects and risks. A recent PEW Research Center study found that only 60% of Americans are currently willing to take the coronavirus vaccine. This is a problem, as vaccines are only effective at containing viruses if enough of the population takes them (read: if a certain level of herd immunity is reached). Thus, eliminating the risk of counterfeit and defective vaccines in the global supply chain is crucial to increase trust among the public.
Vaccine Logistical Requirements
Another obstacle in the distribution of coronavirus vaccines is the fact that they must be kept at very low temperatures throughout the shipping and delivery process. According to the CDC, Moderna vaccines must be kept at temperatures between -25℃ and -15℃, and Pfizer vaccines must be kept at -55℃. Because shipments often contain thousands of units, any logistical flaws can lead to tremendous delays and/or the loss of working vaccines.
It’s growingly important to ensure that the general public can trust in the vaccine.
Additionally, problems within the supply chain observed today will only be exponentially amplified in the coming months due to the rapid growth of expected shipments. In order to ensure widespread safety from COVID-19, the efficiency of vaccination distribution must be drastically improved. According to a recent article by Fortune, at current distribution speeds, it would take almost 10 years before we can vaccinate enough people to control the pandemic. As the struggling economy indicates, this timeframe is far too long. Immediate improvements must be made in the supply chain process to ensure that we can properly control the spread of the virus.
Veracity Protocol’s Solution
These challenges raise the need for increased transparency and accountability in the distribution of vaccines. Veracity Protocol’s computer vision software protects physical objects based on their unique material structure, providing a tamper-proof and completely secure authentication mechanism. This solution, which has already been applied to PPE equipment, such as N95 masks during the pandemic, can also be used for coronavirus vaccines to combat counterfeits and ensure a transparent supply chain.
Our solution combats counterfeits and ensures a transparent supply chain without the need for a serial number, barcode, or tag.
Veracity Protocol’s solution does not require any external elements or additions to the vaccines. Protecting an item “as is” allows for a quicker integration into the current manufacturing and distribution process. The technology works on smartphone cameras in a variety of wild conditions, which means that health officials can easily check the authenticity of supplies without having to use proprietary hardware — and without compromising on speed or accuracy. Ultimately, it is impossible to produce a functional counterfeit of vaccines without being detected by the Veracity system, and adopting this solution serves as an effective way to shut down the illegal trade of vaccines.
The current situation suggests that making immediate improvements to the distribution of vaccines is not optional, but critically mandatory. By taking these additional steps to ensure the traceability and authenticity of vaccines, Veracity Protocol will help vaccines reach the hands of healthcare professionals and hospitals in a safe manner.
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Veracity Protocol is an award-winning startup that builds a Vision AI Standard to protect people and products in the digital world. The standard guarantees the highest level of trust and security for verifying the identity, authenticity, and integrity of physical objects using a smartphone.
