Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS) and international life sciences company Eppendorf have been chosen to provide ultralow-temperature (ULT) freezers for the country’s supply of COVID-19 vaccines.
Scientific Laboratory Supplies was awarded a contract by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to equip two central storage sites and 54 regional hubs with the vital laboratory equipment required for safe and secure storage of the newly developed vaccine.
The company has over 25 years of experience supporting the UK life sciences and healthcare sectors with a wide range of laboratory equipment, and has worked closely with Eppendorf, the DHSC and the NHS to ensure that these freezers would be ready as soon as a vaccine became available. The SLS team provided information and advice, identifying Eppendorf’s UK-manufactured ULT freezers as the best suited to the vaccination programme’s needs.
The contract will provide 380 of the 101-litre under-bench units, and 60 of the 570-litre mass storage units, vastly increasing the sites’ current capacity to safely store the vaccine. The company is also coordinating the delivery, installation and testing of the units, as well as supplying the personal protective equipment necessary for each site, allowing the entire roll out to be completed in a matter of weeks.