As the country battles the COVID-19 virus and variants, there is a national effort between government, health agencies, and communities to vaccinate. Now, with several vaccines on the market, and with further research being conducted, it’s critical to ensure the safety of the distribution and storage of the vaccines. Emerging and proven technologies, enabled by Meraki, are aimed at making the security and mobility of the vaccine a reality.
The editors of EDGE360 recently sat down with Ezequiel Rios, Product Business Manager, Cisco Meraki at SYNNEX Comstor, to discuss the technologies that partners can offer their healthcare customers to improve vaccine storage and distribution. He shared with us three solutions:
24/7 Monitoring and Security for Vaccine Storage
The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has called for all organizations involved in the development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to implement physical security best practices proactively to ensure the security and resiliency of vaccine distribution.
Rios pointed out that, similar to any supply chain, the threat of loss exists and that physical security technologies are a must for vaccine distribution as it is distributed across the country. Leveraging Meraki sensors and camera technologies allows for 24/7 monitoring of trucks, storage facilities, and access control, he explained. “If a door opens and it’s unauthorized, the sensors will send out an alert and cameras will detect the intruder,” Rios stated. “Meraki solutions facilitate the access control and identify how many times the door was opened, and even authorize the user.”
Connectivity for Mobile Distribution
Around the country, mobile vaccination centers are popping up at health departments, convention centers, concert venues, parks, and anywhere where people can gather. Yet, there is a requirement for mobile connectivity in the most remote areas. Rios told us that Meraki’s cloud solutions enable performance for applications – including bandwidth-intensive ones – which makes it the optimal choice for remote sites. “Meraki’s cloud-first architecture allows for mobile networks to be set up outside of the traditional doctor’s office or pharmacy,” Rios said. “It can be set up at any location with cellular signal using the Meraki Cellular Gateway.”
Managing Social Distancing and Health Protocols in Large Crowds
Vaccine distribution centers are often at high capacity as eligibility has opened to the community at-large. As more traffic to these sites occur, many safety protocols are in place to ensure social distancing. Meraki video surveillance solutions can be used to identify if people are following protocols, from mask detection and alerting to traffic flow.
To learn more about Meraki’s healthcare solutions for COVID-19 vaccine distribution and management, please contact the SYNNEX Comstor EDGE team here.
