Public Health Agency of Canada Selects TempAid™ Rugged Vaccine Shipper for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

New Highly Reusable Vaccine-Specific Packaging System Qualified to Provide 48-hour Temperature Stability for Distribution Requirements

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, April 27, 2021 – Rapid Aid and Woodbridge today announced that the TempAid 48-hour vaccine packaging solutions would be used for transporting COVID-19 vaccine shipments across the country by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The proprietary solutions are designed and qualified to deliver optimal temperature stability around several manufacturers’ specific vaccine distribution requirements, including those of Moderna, Novavax, AstraZeneca, Covishield, and Johnson & Johnson.

COVID‑19 vaccines have been authorized under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease. While this fast authorization came with challenges related to availability, it also comes with its own storage and distribution challenges.

These life-saving vaccines must be kept at consistent temperatures throughout storage and distribution (depending on the manufacturer, frozen between -25°C and -15°C or chilled between +2°C and +8°C). Vaccine exposure to temperatures outside their specified ranges can diminish the potency, effectiveness, and protection they provide. Logistics and handling errors can cost thousands of dollars in wasted vaccine and revaccination. Thawed vaccines cannot be refrozen.

“A carton of Moderna COVID‑19 vaccine, for example, contains 100 doses. A case includes 12 cartons or a total of 1,200 doses. Even one case of product exposed to out of spec temperatures can mean 1,200 people don’t get the desired results from this life-saving vaccine,” said Ryan Sanders, President of the TempAid cold chain solutions division at Rapid Aid. “Working closely with Public Health Agency of Canada and Woodbridge has allowed us to create a solution optimized for the vaccine handling requirements of each manufacturer. We are proud to enable this arrangement to help support the health of citizens across Canada.”

“On behalf of all our Woodbridge teammates, we are honoured to have co-developed this innovative packaging solution with TempAid utilizing our Expanded Polypropylene and Expanded Polystyrene foams manufactured in our Kitchener, Ontario, Canada facility,” said John Zianis, President and CEO of Woodbridge. “Being able to meet the stringent shipping requirements set forth by each manufacturer, the Canadian government can provide our friends, family and neighbours with access to the vaccine that will allow us to make it through this pandemic.”

About The TempAid Rugged 48-hour Packaging System

The TempAid Rugged packaging system was designed together by Rapid Aid’s TempAid cold chain division and Woodbridge to be reused multiple times and then recycled, making it more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than single-use packaging. The solution consists of:

• Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) outer shell providing 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

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.

Two qualified options are available today in volume to meet the needs of the Public Health Agency of Canada and for requirements beyond the COVID-19 vaccine. 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 ensure the vaccines don’t get damaged in transport.

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

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.

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.

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