Authorities Conduct 'Transport Simulation Drill' for Moderna Vaccine

Inspection of Transport Support System for 'Cross Docking' Method After Arrival at Incheon Airport and Storage in Chungbuk Ochang Cold Storage

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The government conducted a transportation simulation drill for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, scheduled for introduction as early as the second quarter, on the 12th.

This simulation drill took place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the GC Green Cross logistics warehouse in Ochang-eup, Chungbuk, as well as at hub warehouses and local vaccination centers in Daegu and Gimpo, with participation from the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, the military, police, and the distribution company GC Green Cross. The drill began with the process of receiving the Moderna vaccine, which arrived at Incheon Airport, into the frozen warehouse in Ochang, Chungbuk, and then moving the simulated containers of the Moderna vaccine stored in the frozen warehouse to the refrigerated warehouse under the supervision of military inspectors.

The inspectors used a transportation and storage checklist to verify the quantity of vaccines being shipped, checked the readiness of the subdividing process, the internal temperature of the refrigerated warehouse where the work would take place, and the stabilization of the transport containers. Subsequently, subdividing work was carried out to prepare the vaccines moved to the refrigerated warehouse for transportation to the respective local vaccination centers. Outside the warehouse, vaccine transport trucks were positioned at the dock under the security support of military, police, and facility security teams, and escort vehicles were aligned in formation.

Once the internal subdividing work was completed, military inspectors and company representatives verified the invoices and shipping certificates and loaded the vaccines onto two 3.5-ton transport trucks. After discussions on real-time traffic conditions and transport routes, special seal stickers were attached to the transport trucks, and police patrol cars and Special Forces escort vehicles escorted the vaccine transport trucks from front and rear as they departed for the hub warehouses in Daegu and Gimpo.

Upon arrival at the hub warehouses in Daegu and Gimpo, military inspectors and company representatives checked the status of the seal stickers and the temperature condition of the vaccine transport containers. The vaccines were then transferred and reloaded onto waiting 1-ton trucks for redistribution to local vaccination centers.

Through this hub warehouse-linked transportation method, when the vaccines arrived at the local vaccination centers, the vaccination center staff and transport personnel checked the temperature of the vaccine transport containers, the quantity, and condition of the vaccines. The drill concluded after signing the handover documents and reporting the receipt results to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Park Joo-kyung, head of the Vaccine Transport Support Headquarters of the Promotion Team, who inspected the simulation drill site that day, said, "This simulation drill was an opportunity to check and supplement the overall transportation support system for the Moderna vaccine, which is delivered using a cross-docking method (simultaneous unloading from 3.5-ton transport trucks and loading onto 1-ton transport trucks for linked delivery) after being imported from overseas." He added, "As the types of vaccines to be introduced will diversify and the volume and related support requirements increase, we will perfectly carry out the assigned mission through close cooperation among related agencies and thorough preparation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.