“Vaccines are a miracle of science and the stockpile of Ebola vaccines, which we keep here at Thermo Fisher, can be rapidly deployed when there’s an outbreak happening somewhere in the world. It’s really exciting to be part of this mission.”

Virginie Lamy is working for Thermo Fisher Scientific in Basel, Switzerland, where she oversees the operation of the ultra-low temperature freezers storing ERVEBO – the world’s first Ebola vaccine.

The Ebola vaccine must be kept at between -60 and -80°C, well below what normal vaccine freezers are capable of. Virginie explains how dry ice, or frozen carbon dioxide, is used as a cooling agent to keep the vaccines at the right temperature during storage and transport. She is wearing protective gloves to prevent burns and injury caused by freezing.

Each of the freezers is equipped with a display, showing the current temperature. Virginie carefully monitors any changes in temperature and keeps track of when the freezers are opened and closed.

The stockpile at Thermo Fischer Scientific ensures that Ebola vaccines are available for rapid global deployment. While being accessible to all countries around the world, low- and middle-income countries can access the stockpile free of charge.