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Rossen Reports: Inside Small Business Effort to Distribute Vaccine
Jeff Rossen
Rossen Reports: Inside Small Business Effort to Distribute Vaccine
Hi. Yeah, when we go to get the flu shot or any other medication, think about it. Your local pharmacy or the urgent care down the road. They have it all stored up. They pull it out. Boom, you're vaccinated, you get the medication. But those same pharmacies, urgent care clinics and doctor's offices are not set up for this. Vaccine like the Pfizer vaccine, for example, needs to be stored at temperatures near 94 degrees below zero. And the demand the rush all at once. Everyone trying to get it at the same time. There's a lot going on behind the scenes and, believe it or not, smaller local companies air playing a huge role we're about to show you it doesn't look like much. But inside this Cincinnati factory, they're saving lives, building ultra low temperature freezers outside Boston. It's dry ice at near Milwaukee. It's high tech sensors. Every day we hear about the big national drug companies, Pfizer and Madonna developing the vaccine in record time, and we hear about the big airlines like united starting to ship it and American getting ready to. But the entire pipeline may come down to the small local businesses. You've never heard off. When you first heard that, we would need freezers, Thio distribute and the store this vaccine What happened when it really came out with the C. D. C requirements saying, Hey, listen, this is what we're gonna you're gonna need. Our phones started ringing that morning and we went through the 300 pieces of inventory and about two weeks. Yeah, and they're still ordering. Yes, they are. We're probably eight weeks now on delivery. Some were normally two weeks. Okay, you may be thinking they're just regular freezers like the one in my kitchen. What's the big deal? Most home freezers air set a zero degrees for your food. The freezers they're building for the vaccine can get down toe 120 degrees below zero. Remember, Pfizer's vaccine has to be shipped and stored at minus 94 degrees. The biggest people who are buying them now, um, have been coming in our hospital chains that, you know, like the smaller regional chains that don't have freezers. Now I've never had one, um, the VA hospital system, mom and pop pharmacies on corn or or buying freezers right now and who never thought they never thought We never thought we'd never sell a freezer to him. Inside those freezers, dry ice now in serious demand, nestled between picturesque combs on a quiet block in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Acme Ice Shipping to the drugmaker's. When you use a small company like you know, a small business like myself and not one of these huge companies, we we pamper him and we take care of them and we make sure they get what they need when they need it, because it is so important to get the dry ice there on time to make sure that they can pack it and get it on these airplanes and ship it around the whole world. And it's the tiny details we don't even think about. This company in Wisconsin is making high tech temperature sensors, so doctors and pharmacists no, the vaccine stays cold enough toe work. Hundreds, if not thousands, of hospitals across the country once they received the vaccine will will be monitored by Primex. We have a lot of retail pharmacies that are also customers, and they've been in contact as well, and we've been supplying many retail pharmacies across the country with our solutions The truth of the matter is, without people like you to store this vaccine, we can't get vaccinated. I mean, that's that's the truth. It is. It is the truth. Um, and so we're working very hard to get these out to the public as quickly as we can. Small business is the backbone of the country now, saving us in the fight of our lives. It really is amazing how many companies are working to get this vaccine out when it's ready. We hear about the drug companies every day, the big ones. But it's these smaller companies in our cities and towns. There just is important to this process. We're following this from start to finish every day. I'll keep you updated with the latest on the vaccine, minute by minute, here on TV and, of course, in my newsletter, Right to your inbox. Sign up for that right now at Rawson reports dot com Back to you
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Rossen Reports: Inside Small Business Effort to Distribute Vaccine
Jeff Rossen
Anticipation and relief are building as we get closer to distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine.But how will it go from the drug company labs to your arm? Turns out it’s local small businesses that could mean the difference in your area. When we go to get the flu shot or any other medication, your local pharmacy or the urgent care down the road has it all. They pull it out and boom, you’re vaccinated. But those same pharmacies, urgent care clinics and doctors' offices are not set up for this vaccine — like the Pfizer vaccine that needs to be stored at temperatures near minus 94 degrees. And the demand — as in the rush — happens all at once.There’s a lot that going on behind the scenes, and believe it or not, smaller, local companies are playing a huge role.We looked inside a Cincinnati factory that's saving lives by building ultra-low temperature freezers. Outside Boston, it’s dry ice.Near Milwaukee it’s high-tech sensors. Every day we hear about the big national drug companies — Pfizer and Moderna — developing the vaccine in record time. And we hear about the big airlines being involved, too, including United and American Airlines.But the entire pipeline may come down to these small local businesses that you’ve never heard of. Dan Hensler, vice president of sales and marketing at So-Low Environmental Equipment, explained his company's involvement when it first heard that we would need freezers to distribute and store this vaccine."When it really came out with the CDC requirements, our phones started ringing that morning and we went through the 300 pieces of inventory in two weeks," he said.You might think of kitchen freezers, most of which are set at 0 degrees for your food.But the freezers they’re building for the vaccine can get down to 120 degrees below zero.Pfizer’s vaccine has to be shipped and stored at minus 94 degrees. "The biggest people who are buying them now are hospital chains, regional smaller chains that don’t have freezers, the VA hospital system," Hensler said. "Mom and pop pharmacies on the corner are buying freezers right now. And ... they never thought — we never thought we would ever sell a freezer to them."Dry ice is also in serious demand. Nestled between picturesque homes on a quiet block in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is Acme Ice, shipping products to drugmakers. "When you use a ... small business like myself ... we make sure they get what they need when they need it," owner Marc Savenor said. And it’s the tiny details we don’t even think about.And a company in Wisconsin makes temperature sensors, so doctors and pharmacists know the vaccine stays cold enough to work. Rob Klinck, senior vice president of sales at Primex, noted the implications. "Hundreds if not thousands of hospitals across the country, once they receive the vaccine, will be monitored by Primex," he said. "We have a lot of retail pharmacies that are also customers. They’ve been in contact as well and we’ve been supplying many retail pharmacies across the country with our solutions.” Klinck said the company is part of an effort to get the vaccine to the public as quickly as possible. Small businesses, which already are the backbone of the country, are now helping save us in the fight of our lives. It really is amazing how many companies are working to get this vaccine out when its ready. We hear about the drug companies daily, but it’s all the smaller companies in our cities and towns that are just as important to this process.

Anticipation and relief are building as we get closer to distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine.

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But how will it go from the drug company labs to your arm? Turns out it’s local small businesses that could mean the difference in your area.

When we go to get the flu shot or any other medication, your local pharmacy or the urgent care down the road has it all. They pull it out and boom, you’re vaccinated. But those same pharmacies, urgent care clinics and doctors' offices are not set up for this vaccine — like the Pfizer vaccine that needs to be stored at temperatures near minus 94 degrees. And the demand — as in the rush — happens all at once.

There’s a lot that going on behind the scenes, and believe it or not, smaller, local companies are playing a huge role.

We looked inside a Cincinnati factory that's saving lives by building ultra-low temperature freezers.

Outside Boston, it’s dry ice.

Near Milwaukee it’s high-tech sensors.

Every day we hear about the big national drug companies — Pfizer and Moderna — developing the vaccine in record time. And we hear about the big airlines being involved, too, including United and American Airlines.

But the entire pipeline may come down to these small local businesses that you’ve never heard of.

Dan Hensler, vice president of sales and marketing at So-Low Environmental Equipment, explained his company's involvement when it first heard that we would need freezers to distribute and store this vaccine.

"When it really came out with the CDC requirements, our phones started ringing that morning and we went through the 300 pieces of inventory in two weeks," he said.

You might think of kitchen freezers, most of which are set at 0 degrees for your food.

But the freezers they’re building for the vaccine can get down to 120 degrees below zero.

Pfizer’s vaccine has to be shipped and stored at minus 94 degrees.

"The biggest people who are buying them now are hospital chains, regional smaller chains that don’t have freezers, the VA hospital system," Hensler said. "Mom and pop pharmacies on the corner are buying freezers right now. And ... they never thought — we never thought we would ever sell a freezer to them."

Dry ice is also in serious demand. Nestled between picturesque homes on a quiet block in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is Acme Ice, shipping products to drugmakers.

"When you use a ... small business like myself ... we make sure they get what they need when they need it," owner Marc Savenor said.

And it’s the tiny details we don’t even think about.

And a company in Wisconsin makes temperature sensors, so doctors and pharmacists know the vaccine stays cold enough to work.

Rob Klinck, senior vice president of sales at Primex, noted the implications.

"Hundreds if not thousands of hospitals across the country, once they receive the vaccine, will be monitored by Primex," he said. "We have a lot of retail pharmacies that are also customers. They’ve been in contact as well and we’ve been supplying many retail pharmacies across the country with our solutions.”

Klinck said the company is part of an effort to get the vaccine to the public as quickly as possible.

Small businesses, which already are the backbone of the country, are now helping save us in the fight of our lives.

It really is amazing how many companies are working to get this vaccine out when its ready. We hear about the drug companies daily, but it’s all the smaller companies in our cities and towns that are just as important to this process.