QR codes are playing a major role in COVID-19 vaccine distribution success

Vaccines are the way out of the long, international COVID-19 nightmare. Developing and approving them within 1 year was an astonishing feat, but distributing and applying them to the 7.8 billion people populating the earth will be no less impressive, and probably even more difficult.

All the current vaccines need to be kept in cold conditions, from temperatures of 2-8℃ for the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech vaccines currently being distributed across India to super-low temperatures of -20℃ and -70℃ respectively for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Pfizer vaccines travel in special boxes of 1,000 and 5,000 doses, packed in dry ice, which can only be refreshed up to three times every five days. Once defrosted, the vaccine must be used within days.

The phased vaccine distribution campaigns that begin with the most vulnerable require a steady stream of vaccines, plus public health bodies need more vials for the second dose three to 12 weeks later. Vaccine distribution needs to be ongoing and reliable, rather than a one-and-done affair.

India's infrastructure and geography present their own challenges, with people scattered between dense cities and remote rural locations, and poor transport links that have been neglected for years and could slow down or damage vaccine shipments. The Union Ministry of Power (MoP) is doing what it can to keep the flow of electricity as steady as possible, to support the cold chain requirements.

India's logistics companies have also been investing in more equipment, like super freezers and high-tech ways to maintain a constant cold temperature within containers, but that's not enough on its own.

Logistics companies and public health institutions need reliable, continuous monitoring solutions that deliver total visibility into the progress and conditions of shipments. They have to be certain that vaccines were never defrosted, partially defrosted, or had their quality compromised in any way en route, especially since there is so much suspicion around this vaccine.

It's crucial to be able to reassure the public that the vaccine injected into their arms is in every way the same as the one developed in the lab. Stories about vaccine spoilage due to cold chain malfunctions have been abundant in the global news media, so there is much to gain by having this level of quantifiable quality assurance.

Shipments are rolling out across the country, and vaccination is already underway in thousands of centers. With a cargo that is both extremely valuable and highly sensitive to changes in the environment, logistics and shipping firms need the best possible way to continuously monitor both the progress and the conditions of the vaccine shipments.

One answer comes in the form of data loggers based on the humble and familiar QR code, developed by Finnish startup Logmore.

QR codes send a constant stream of data

Traditionally, cold storage products are shipped in dry ice boxes fitted with sensors and data loggers that lie within the box. However, the scale of the operation and the temperature required for the vaccines renders many of these solutions impractical.

RFID tags are commonly used, but they require expensive modifications if they're to work in cold conditions. With Pune logistics company Kool-Ex Cold Chain rolling out up to 950 vehicles to transport vaccines around the country, for example, that kind of cost is untenable.

Bluetooth, another popular option, only works in close proximity to the transmitter, and signals are often disrupted. Additionally, both Bluetooth and USB sensors have to lie inside the box and must be unfrozen before the data can be read, creating a serious obstacle to continuous monitoring.

Logmore's QR codes are a game-changer. The sensor rests inside the box, ensuring data is trustworthy and transmits information to the QR code screen outside the box where it can be scanned and read instantly by anyone with a smartphone. It doesn't require any special equipment or tech, and the QR logger code is updated every few minutes.

QR data loggers are resilient

Shipments experience rough handling on the long journey from factory to distribution hubs to local vaccination centers, especially on India's underinvested rural roads.

Research shows that approximately 25% of vaccines arrive damaged due to shipping mishaps, but the same rough treatment can knock data loggers out of place and leave healthcare bodies in the dark about the true state of the vaccines.

RFID tags and USB loggers stop working when they are dislodged, while Bluetooth transmitters can be knocked out of range for sending data. But QR codes are resilient and tough, continuing to work even if the logger is damaged or doesn't display fully.

Additionally, Logmore's QR codes can hold a lot of data. The codes embed data vertically and horizontally so they can track multiple variables at the same time, in contrast to barcodes which can only store data horizontally. Logmore Dry Ice can track and send data about humidity, temperature, tilt, light, shocks, location, and more, so logistics companies can quickly correct any issues and preserve vaccines in pristine condition.

QR codes can be accessed by anyone

Another advantage of using QR-based loggers is that the data they store and send can be accessed by everyone, unlike RFID tags, for example, which need special scanners.

Without any extra investment in new infrastructure or apps, QR loggers can send shipment data to all the stakeholders, who can read it on any mobile or desktop platform and use any analytics tools to explore the data.

This ease of access becomes even more important when we're talking about such a complex operation that requires coordination with many poor rural districts.

The Punjab government has already shipped precise numbers of doses to each of their districts, which means thousands of stakeholders in districts that mostly lack any budget for expensive specialist analytics or data-reading software.

Low-tech solutions are the way forward

It's clear that the best solution isn't always the most complex and high-tech. By basing Logmore Dry Ice on ordinary QR codes, Logmore has developed a resilient, accessible data logging system that supports continuous and reliable monitoring no matter how difficult the conditions, enabling crucial visibility into vaccine supply chains and helping ensure the success of vaccine distribution in India.

(Disclaimer: Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)