Mobile On Demand COVID-19 Vaccine Production Units for Developing Countries

Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and more than one year after the approv a l of the first vaccine, bottlenecks in production and supply chain infrastructure continue to delay vaccination campaigns in the Global South. Mobile on Demand (MOD) vaccine manufacture may help quickly ramp up production capacity while bypassing infrastructure bottlenecks. Such decentralized small-scale factories can help tip the scales in the battle against COVID-19 and future pandemics. In this work, we designed two MOD vaccine manufacturing units based on a protein antigen expressed in yeast and in vitro transcription of mRNA . Each unit consists of three shipping containers and can produce on the order of 10,000 vaccine doses daily for compet i t i v e prices and in close proximity of their end users. Abandoning economies of scale may lead to a moderate increase in production costs that may be outweighed by reduced closed-vi a l dose wastage and an earlier protection of vulnerable populations.

Automated summary

This study explores the importance of Mobile on Demand (MOD) vaccine manufacturing units in addressing the production and supply chain issues in the Global South. By designing two units based on yeast and mRNA expression, it enables rapid production of a large number of vaccines daily, with reduced production costs, minimized vaccine wastage, and earlier protection for vulnerable populations.