This technology may be one way to help increase access to vaccines.
Drones are playing a critical role in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic: delivering vaccines to communities that need them the most. Though most news coverage centered on vaccine inaccessibility has only discussed the sheer lack of availability in many countries due to production limitations or price points, very little discussion has occurred regarding the actual logistical challenges of physically delivering vaccines. Zipline, a drone delivery service, is tackling this problem head-on by utilizing its experience and innovative technology to help deliver Covid-19 coronavirus vaccines to remote areas. Late last month, Gavi, an international organization which aims to increase vaccine equity worldwide, reported that Zipline has partnered with the Government of Ghana to help deliver the much-anticipated COVAX vaccines (COVAX is a global initiative supported by the World Health Organization that is “Working for global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines”). The report describes how Zipline, in conjunction with UPS which is providing critical ground transportation of the vaccines, has been using its autonomous medical delivery drones and strategically placed “nests” (which are bases for the drones to launch and land) to help distribute vaccines across the country.
