Guelph company building freezers to store, transport COVID-19 vaccine

Local companies helping with vaccine plan From CTV Kitchener's Krista Sharpe: Local companies are adapting technology to help store and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine.

GUELPH — A Guelph company is adapting its technology to help transport and store a COVID-19 vaccine once it's available.

"We've come up with a -80 freezer, which is needed for some of the new RNA vaccines like the Pfizer one," Danby CEO Jim Estill said.

Estill said the company has designed a freezer that can get as cold as -80 degrees to help store and distribute the vaccine. The vaccine freezer will be similar to current medical grade units and equipped with smart technology.

The company doesn't have a current contract with government or public health agencies, but Estill said they're currently in negotiations.

"It will take about five months to produce and have them deliverable, so we need to get orders in now which will coincide more or less with when the vaccines will be delivered," Estill said.

Cambridge company blueRover is also working on safe vaccine storage.

"This is a mobile unit that has our vaccine-monitoring device outside and a probe inside," David Meila with blueRover said.

Meila said they're redesigning their products to safely store the vaccine.

"From end-to-end, it's made in Canada," Meila said. "It's a Canadian company."

Smart sensors work with an app to alert professionals of any internal changes.

"We are in the process of hiring individuals who are basically data analysts and other customer care people," Meila said.

Both companies hope to win contracts to improve the health of Ontario residents and boost the local economy.