MDA fashions 3 custom vehicles to be used to transport COVID-19 vaccines
Until the vaccines arrive in Israel, the caravans can be used to transport and supply flu vaccines to the general public as well as gathering and holding coronavirus samples.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFRefrigerators that will be used to store Israel's stock of coronavirus vaccines for transport.(photo credit: MAGEN DAVID ADOM)
As Magen David Adom (MDA) prepares for the winter and the prospect of receiving Israel's stock of coronavirus vaccines during that time, the National Health Service will be introducing three special vehicles to its fleet that can travel to different points around Israel to effectively administer the vaccine to citizens.The custom vehicles, assembled by Israel-based manufacturer Caravilla, have two separate entrances – with subjects entering in one and leaving the other – a refrigerator, a registration area, two sampling areas and vaccination stations as well as compartments for additional medical equipment. They are also air-conditioned and run on solar energy.The refrigerators themselves are fashioned to hold thousands of vaccine doses within the car trailer, with one operating at around -23°C, as needed to safely store the Moderna vaccine for long periods of time. Another refrigerator cools to temperatures around -80°C, which will be used for Pfizer vaccines.For the time being, until the vaccines arrive in Israel, the caravans can be used to transport and supply flu vaccines to the general public as well as gathering and holding coronavirus samples.MDA trains its volunteers to transport, handle and preserve medical equipment and now vaccines over long distances. The staff will need training since these vehicles can store nearly half-a-million doses of the novel coronavirus vaccine alone, and has been operating these types of transports to gather and transport coronavirus diagnostic samples to labs across Israel."The new caravans are dynamic and can be used in several ways, depending on needs that emerge in the field – coronavirus vaccines, coronavirus samples and more," said MDA vice president of operations Gil Moskowitz. "Today, the organization continues to be at the forefront of the struggle, sampling and more."MDA director general Eli Bin added that the organization continues to "develop and advance its technology and operational abilities, according to situational needs, so as to stymie the rate of infection and take care of public health."If the Health Ministry and the HMOs seek Magen David Adom's assistance in vaccinating the population, the new caravans can provide extensive response capabilities and have the ability to transport coronavirus vaccines to places all around the country – with the end goal being to defeat the virus in the most efficient, fast and professional way possible."
