Japan ramps up ultra-cold freezer output ahead of vaccine roll-out

Japanese companies are ramping up production of ultra-cold freezers to store and deliver COVID-19 vaccines, as Japan aims to launch vaccinations in the country as soon as February. The government's vaccine roll-out faces logistical hurdles that could further delay the slow-moving campaign, experts and officials say, complicating plans to deliver wide-scale coronavirus inoculations in time for the Olympics.

Japanese companies are ramping up production of ultra-cold freezers to store and deliver COVID-19 vaccines, as Japan aims to launch vaccinations in the country as soon as February.

The government's vaccine roll-out faces logistical hurdles that could further delay the slow-moving campaign, experts and officials say, complicating plans to deliver wide-scale coronavirus inoculations in time for the Olympics. Japan plans to begin its inoculation push in late February with the Pfizer Inc vaccine for front-line medical workers. The country trails most major economies in starting inoculations due to its dependence on overseas makers and a requirement that the vaccines go through domestic trials.

Medical equipment maker PHC Holdings Corporation, which has been tapped by the government for its ultra-low temperature freezers, said the company had doubled output at its factory in Gunma Prefecture from January. Although no specific orders have been made by the government yet, PHC said their freezer can store the Pfizer vaccine, which has to be kept at minus 75 degrees Celsius.

"We are determined to fulfil our responsibility to supply our products in order to contain the novel coronavirus," said PHC's public relations representative, Chisato Hirata. Companies that transport medicines told Reuters earlier that there might not be enough specialised containers to carry the Pfizer vaccine.

A government source has said that officials only began assessing whether there were enough containers or dry ice to pack them late last year. Home electronics maker Twinbird Corp, which manufactures portable freezers, said it had doubled the number of workers and raised its monthly production by ten-fold to 4,000 freezer units compared with last year.

In January, the firm received an order to supply 5,000 freezers to Takeda Pharmaceutical, Japan's top drugmaker that handles domestic approval and imports of the Moderna Inc vaccine. "We Twinbird will be able to join the (COVID-19) vaccine cold chain and that action alone is to protect the lives of the people. We feel very motivated for this mission." said Twinbird Corp's President Shigeaki Nomizu.