How France wants to protect the distribution of its vaccines

Excessive movement of trucks by drones, low number of stops, strict secrecy of storage: delivery of vaccines against Covit-19 to France, from which patients should benefit from Sunday, strict security measures.

This is an intensive sensitization operation that is being carried out under close monitoring, with France preparing for vaccine delivery from Pfizer-Bioentech, which was the first to receive the green light from the EU.

In the coming days, the first dose will travel between the warehouses of the American company Pfizer in Burs, Belgium, and about 7,200 nursing homes in France, which will be the priority target of the first vaccination campaign.

Logistics challenge, security challenge

The attached logistics challenge to respect the cold chain – the serum must be stored at -70 C – is linked to the security challenge when faced with threats to the guards.

Interpol chairman Jர்கrgen Stock said he expects the situation to escalate “dramatically” through “thefts, warehouse robberies and attacks during the transport of vaccines.”

Among the major risks identified by the government are “malicious acts (damage, theft, cyber-attacks, intrusion into storage areas)”, even actions taken by “vaccine activists” or “terrorist acts” to the Ministries of Health and Home Affairs, Priorities and Regional Health Institutions (ARS) Addressed.

This document, Revealed Sunday newspaper, Describes the different stages of the vaccine supply chain.

5 to 7 regional vaccine storage sites

Dosages of the vaccines, before being obtained in nursing homes, will first be linked to “one hundred health institutions” and “five to seven regional sites” with public health France, and its location will be kept secret.

Pfizer’s partner carriers in Europe, DHL and FedEx, must respect the deadline set in advance for the “transportation plan” to be communicated to the authorities and guarantee the confidentiality of their loads.

On the go, their drivers should control the number and duration of their stops as much as possible, avoiding “congested areas” such as major highway areas.

Vaccine guards are also taken away by law enforcement or even by drones

To strengthen the security of the guards, each leader may decide to take them by “unmarked or screen printed vehicles” and even add “air support” by drone.

“These are specialized transport in health products such as blood bags or organs. These are approved transport, the best professional,” Health Minister Oliver Varan said Tuesday. Chandeloup-en-Pri (Sean-Ed-Marne).

In these areas, anti-infiltration or video surveillance equipment, especially near areas where vaccines should be stored, should be checked. It is also recommended to enable emergency power circuits to continue operating in “degraded mode”.

Access to sensitive areas must be restricted and only to authorized persons by having a record or badge reader system.

Dealing with Cypriot Risk

Faced with the risk of a cyber attack, every actor in the distribution chain is called upon to strengthen their security “against intrusions into information systems” and then shut down “all essential services” to control the risk of data leakage. Phishing or ransomware extortion.

“Even if there is a fight at the height of the crisis, hospitals are particularly targeted because they are poorly protected and still have patients’ lives on hand,” the operational reserve officer explains to Sarah Pino.

“When hackers start an attack and demand a ransom, they are almost certain to achieve their results,” says the cyber security expert, who fears that the media coverage of the attacks “strengthens public distrust.” Vaccines “.