Dry ice producers, distributors and equipment makers are bracing themselves for a spike in demand next year, with concerns there will be a tightening in the availability of dry ice for storage and distribution of coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines.
After a vaccine is declared ready, then comes the challenge of delivering millions of doses at ultra-cold temperatures with the help of dry ice – solid form of carbon dioxide (CO2) – and cryogenic freezers which use liquid nitrogen.
Vaccines will need to be kept at temperatures as low as minus 70 or 80 degrees Celsius (minus 94 or 112 degrees Fahrenheit), and they may have to be shipped from one end of the nation to the other.
