A possible coronavirus vaccine could soon become available as Pfizer works to receive approval for a vaccine it says is 95% effective with no major side effects.
That means hospitals will need help when it comes to storage and dry ice is a major player when it comes to keeping the vaccine at the necessary temperature of 109 degrees below zero.
Roberts Oxygen Company is stepping in to help. The company operates in six states but its dry ice production happens at its Gaithersburg, Maryland, location and they’ve been a major supplier for decades.
“We’re able to produce 3,300 pounds of dry ice per hour. We’re a major supplier of medical gases for hospitals,” said Reggie Wright, the company’s regional stores manager in the metro DC area.
They’ve seen an increase in calls from hospitals as they look for ways to store and transport the expected vaccine.
Now, Wright says it’s a matter of taking orders and coordinating delivery schedules once the vaccine is a go.
“We have a lot of distribution, we have much storage capacity. We’re glad to help, glad to support the community and the nation,” he said.
The company also stepped up to provide hospitals with oxygen when the pandemic first began so Wright says they’re prepared for large scale production as we await the final approval of a vaccine.
