How COVID-19 prepared us for the spread of the monkeypox vaccine

from Gil Drorchief technology officer, SmartSense by Digi
Twitter: @SmartSenseHQ

Monkeypox outbreak accelerates with more than 3,000 cases in the US (according to CDC data) and the vaccine across the country has been hampered by logistical and technical errors. The The World Health Organization announced the monkeypox epidemic to become a global emergency. Although the CDC has expanded its vaccine efforts to prioritize those most at risk, the biden administration has only ordered 7 million vaccines, and many are stuck in national stockpiles – leaving current supply far short of demand. As Americans begin to fear there won’t be enough vaccines to contain the growing epidemic, and public health officials notice hotspot cities have huge waiting lists, leading to additional technical problems in the online reservation system. it is clear that there is a need for IoT-enabled digital decision-making and operational visibility across the vaccine supply chain.

Lessons learned from the COVID-19 vaccine rollout can help healthcare providers streamline monkeypox vaccine rollout using IoT Sensing as a Service. The healthcare industry needs digitized workflows and rapid mobilization for effective monkeypox vaccine distribution. given the need for monkeypox vaccines to be refrigerated and frozen, remote quality control and operational visibility are essential during production and transportation. Hospitals and pharmacies can improve efficiency, productivity and safety with continuous monitoring solutions that preserve the efficacy of critical vaccines needed to contain a large-scale monkeypox outbreak.

Transportation of vaccines

Refrigerated and frozen vaccines must maintain their optimal temperature values ​​to maintain efficacy. Transporting them increases the risk of damage due to the possibility of uninsulated packaging, warm storage areas in vehicles or unsuitable coolant materials. The ability to monitor the temperature of vaccines directly inside the container is essential to ensure they remain both safe and effective.

Appropriate conditions must be maintained at every touchpoint of the supply chain. Otherwise, improper storage, handling and transport of vaccines can lead to inadequate immune responses in patients and poor protection against disease.

Empowering healthcare workers with digital workflows

Automating critical vaccine administration workflows through digital decision making and task management increases operational efficiency in a way that saves invaluable labor hours that can be redirected to patient care. The management of operational tasks can be improved through digitization. Real-time data from IoT sensors combined with digital workflow management and prescribed actions support healthcare organizations’ efforts to remain compliant and protect vaccines and other critical inventory items.

Not only does access to additional data insights contribute to improved patient care, but the guided actions generated by the data enable healthcare workers to focus on the work that matters most. Endless reports and dashboard views fail to reduce the burden on healthcare workers. With IoT-powered platforms, healthcare workers don’t have to do their own interpretation of data, dashboards or reports. Both training and task management are available on demand, and when a problem arises, prescriptive actions are generated in real-time to guide employees on what to do next.

Continuous operational improvement with data-driven insights

Improving operational efficiency contributes significantly to better health outcomes for those who need the monkeypox vaccine. Being able to access care sooner rather than later is critical. Equipping medical staff with time-saving technology allows them to spend more time attending to patient needs.

With actionable insights and guidance generated from telemetry data, healthcare professionals are better equipped to improve their operational efficiency. Redundant manual tasks can be eliminated and costly equipment damage can be prevented.

—

During the COVID-19 crisis, the healthcare industry learned the importance of preserving IoT-enabled critical vaccines to maximize efficacy and improve operational efficiency. These lessons must be applied to the distribution of the monkeypox vaccine to ensure that the general public receives the protection it needs. With monkeypox vaccines in short supply, it is important to ensure that each dose is effectively stored and administered.