The German Ministry of Health has requested the help of the army to ensure the safe storage of future German COVID-19 vaccines, a spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday, informs Agerpres.
More than 6,000 soldiers are already supporting the German authorities in the fight against the pandemic, most of them supporting the overworked local health authorities in an attempt to track down those with whom the infected people have come into contact.
“We have provided logistical support since the beginning of the pandemic, opening storage facilities for materials such as surgical masks and medical supplies in military facilities, for example,” said a Defense Ministry spokesman.
“We will do the same in this case,” he said regarding the storage of vaccines, adding that discussions are currently taking place on this with the Ministry of Health.
Pfizer and BioNTech Laboratories announced Monday that their vaccines would have a “90% effectiveness” against COVID-19, according to extensive third-stage testing before an application for approval. Vaccine management could be a difficult task. BioNTech’s chief executive said to Reuters that they would have to be transported and stored at a temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius.