Woodbridge and Rapid Aid Co-Develop Innovative Packaging Solution for Vaccine Distribution

New Vaccine-Specific, Cold Chain Packaging System Provides 48-hour Temperature Stability without Dry Ice for COVID-19 and Other Temperature Sensitive Vaccine Shipments

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, March 31, 2021 – Woodbridge and Rapid Aid’s TempAid™ division today announced co-development of a 48-hour packaging solution designed to deliver optimal temperature stability for vaccine distribution shipments.

The patent-pending TempAid Rugged Vaccine Shipper is a qualified, reusable cold chain packaging solution tested to keep vaccines, such as the COVID-19 vaccine, at a consistent temperature for up to 48 hours without additional refrigeration. The packaging system is now in use with a major vaccine manufacturer and is proven to be a cost-effective alternative to other solutions, including refrigerated transportation.

Mission-critical vaccines, such as those manufactured for the COVID-19 pandemic, must be kept at a consistent temperature from the time of manufacture to their end destination. Vaccine exposure outside recommended temperature ranges can decrease their potency, diminishing the effectiveness and protection they provide. Logistics and handling errors can cost thousands of dollars in wasted vaccine and revaccination.

The Rugged 48-hour solution was designed for easy assembly and does not require dry ice, making it safe to handle during pack out or at the destination.

The packaging system was designed with reuse in mind consisting of reusable, recyclable materials that enable a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to single-use packaging. The solution consists of 100 percent recyclable materials:

• Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) outer shell provides a unique range of properties such as thermal insulation, energy absorption, water resistance
• Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) cooler to further enable thermal insulation
• Phase Change Material (PCM) hard bottle gels tested for both temperature stability and reuse
• A complete testing and documentation package including SOPs, testing data, and training material

Two options are available today in volume, either 5°C or -21°C, to meet the needs of today’s vaccine requirements. The solution is laboratory tested for up to 48 hours of protection using the ISTA Procedure 7D Summer Profile to maintain between either +2°C to +8°C or -25°C to -15°C (depending on the option required). It is also tested to ISTA Procedure 3A Standards for Packaged Products for Parcel Delivery and Shipment. ISTA 3A is a physical test for shock and vibration to insure the vaccines don’t get damaged in transport.

To learn more, go to www.tempaid.net/rugged.

About Woodbridge

Woodbridge is a privately-owned company offering innovative material technologies for applications in automotive, commercial, recreational, packaging, healthcare and building products. In addition to its manufacturing operations, Woodbridge offers a full complement of services including: chemical research and development, product and process engineering, tooling, technical support and accredited laboratory testing. Woodbridge operates more than 50 facilities across 10 countries—employing over 7,500 teammates and serving more than 600 customers worldwide. To learn more, visit woodbridgegroup.com.

About TempAid

TempAid™, a division of Rapid Aid, Inc, manufactures a complete line of cold chain solutions designed to keep temperature stability for food, pharmaceutical, and laboratory sectors. As part of the Rapid Aid brand, the company has been delivering hot and cold solutions to the market for over 30 years. Rapid Aid and TempAid™ currently manufacture over 96 million units per year with the capability to manufacture hundreds of millions of additional units. For more information on the TempAid™ line of solutions or a custom quote, please contact us directly at 1-800-COLD–HOT or visit http://www.tempaid.net.

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