Human Vaccine Supply Chain:

The vaccine supply chain is a highly organized system that enables smooth and efficient distribution of vaccines to the public, starting from the manufacturing facilities.

The entire supply chain typically involves three or four stages, depending on the specific vaccine. These stages include drug discovery, mass production, distribution, and reverse logistics. The diagram below illustrates the different stages of the vaccine supply chain.

Certain vaccines, such as those containing live viruses, may require temperature-controlled storage during transportation. In such cases, a cooling box is used to ensure the integrity of the vaccine. Once the vaccine reaches its intended destination, the cooling box is returned to its original location, marking the reverse logistics stage of the supply chain. This stage involves the retrieval and management of the cooling boxes to maintain the efficiency of the vaccine distribution process.

The various stages of the supply chain for vaccines are often geographically dispersed. While the drug discovery and mass production stages necessitate specialized expertise and advanced facilities, leading to their concentration in specific locations, the distribution stage entails the sourcing of secondary packaging materials, warehousing, storage, and administration items from multiple global sources. The following diagram illustrates the complete journey of a vaccine, encompassing all stages of the supply chain.