Special delivery: NC hospital delivering vaccines via drone

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The nation’s first COVID-19 vaccine drone supply program is getting began in North Carolina.

Atrium Well being Wake Forest Baptist has partnered with Innovation Quarter, iQ Healthtech Labs and UPS to ship COVID-19 vaccines utilizing drones to the well being system’s household medication practices, the well being system stated.

Atrium Well being Wake Forest stated utilizing the UPS Flight Ahead-operated drone permits the well being system to shortly ship the vaccines. Pace is necessary given the temperature-sensitive nature of the vaccines.

The drones are outfitted with particular cargo bins that permit the vaccines to remain between 2 and eight levels Celsius. Additionally they have a built-in temperature monitor.

Dr. Jennifer Tryon, chief pharmacy officer at Atrium Well being Wake Forest Baptist, stated in a press release, “The flexibility to make use of a temperature monitoring system for our COVID-19 vaccine drone supply program additionally opens the door for us to move extra gadgets which require upkeep of the chilly chain.”

Tryon stated they’ve already executed a number of take a look at flights. The inaugural flight takes off Wednesday at 10 a.m.