Hospitals are using Distributed Ledger in the vaccine rollout

3AI January 24, 2021

Two British hospitals are using a distributed ledger to track the cold storage of sensitive COVID-19 vaccines

The mass campaign to inoculate millions against COVID-19 was always going to be a monumental challenge. The fact that some vaccines are rendered useless if not kept at ultralow temperatures only complicates matters.

The U.K.’s National Health Service, or NHS, has turned to using blockchain technology to aid the rollout of vaccines, using the system that underpins cryptocurrencies like bitcoin BTCUSD, 1.35% and ether ETHUSD, -0.45% to monitor the supply and cold storage of shots at two hospitals.

Of the three COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the U.K., the one developed by U.S. drug company Pfizer PFE, -0.05% and its German partner BioNTech 22UA, +2.08% must be kept at temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit). That is colder than winter days in Antarctica.

The vaccine developed by U.K.-Swedish drug company AstraZeneca AZN, +0.07% and the University of Oxford can be kept at normal refrigerator temperatures, while the jab from biotech Moderna MRNA, +6.26% must be kept at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Once thawed, but still refrigerated, the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine is only good for another five days at 2-8 degrees Celsius.

This raises the stakes for efficient logistics when the U.K. is rapidly accelerating its vaccine rollout: more than 4 million people have received the first of two doses, and the government aims to vaccinate 80% of all people over 50 years old and all clinically vulnerable adults by early May.

Two hospitals, in Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick in central England, are working with Hedera Hashgraph and Everyware to ensure the vitality of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine using blockchain technology — breaking new ground and paving the way for a wider rollout across the NHS.

Hedera Hashgraph provides blockchain networks. The company is backed by companies including plane manufacturer Boeing BA, -1.91%, and technology companies IBM IBM, +1.21%, LG Electronics 066570, -3.51% and Google, owned by Alphabet GOOGL, +0.22%. Everyware is an asset and equipment monitor.

With Everyware’s sensors and Hedera’s blockchain system, the NHS is using a distributed ledger, which is an offshoot of blockchain technology, to accurately track the cold-storage equipment holding the vaccines.

A distributed ledger is a decentralized and synchronized digital system for sharing data, and is largely immune to problems introduced into tracking systems by human error.

Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin use blockchain’s decentralized public ledger to record encrypted transactions. Hospitals can use the same technology to track sensitive medical assets with unique storage requirements.

Everyware already provides tracking services for chemotherapy drugs, blood, and plasma.

“Monitoring the ongoing temperature of these refrigeration units is critically important, and ensuring the integrity of that data is an equally important part of maintaining trust in the results, and being able to easily share them across the entire vaccine supply chain,” said Tom Screen, Everyware’s technical director.

“Hedera’s distributed ledger technology provides that tamper-proof record-keeping system, making it perfect for recording and validating results efficiently and cost-effectively,” Screen said.

Picture from freepik.com

AI is changing the way doctors think about providing care

While robots and computers will probably never completely replace doctors and nurses, machine learning/deep learning and AI are transforming the healthcare industry, improving outcomes, and changing the way doctors think about providing care. Machine learning is improving diagnostics, predicting outcomes, and just beginning to scratch the surface of personalized care. Imagine walking in to see […]

Emerging role of Generative AI for Businesses

Featured Article: Author: Rajan Gupta, VP & Head of Research & Analytics, Analyttica Datalab Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the way businesses operate, and Generative AI (GAI) is quickly becoming a hot topic in this field. Generative AI is the technology behind applications that can produce new content, such as images, sounds, and even text. […]

Future Proofing GCCs

For a while now, India has been driving back-office functions for some of the large enterprises across the world. However, over the past few years, it has taken giant strides towards becoming the innovation hub of the world, by adding strategic value to multi-billion-dollar businesses from around the world, through Global Capability Centres (GCCs) based […]

HCM Decision Making powered by Talent Sciences

Talent Science is the business capability of using advanced data analysis techniques and predictive models to drive HCM decision making. It calls for a logical connection between decisions about people, HR program investments and strategic business outcomes. This can form a backbone of human resource function of all organizations independent of the sector in which it operates. […]

India's largest platform and marketplace for GCC & AI leaders and professionals

3AI Digital Library