Glass Vials vital for COVID-19 vaccine

 Posted by Qianhui Hua

The hottest topic in 2020 is COVID-19, which has brought huge losses and impacts to every country in the world. So I chose a news about COVID-19 vaccine storage and distribution, which is related to material chemistry.

Since Chinese scientists released the complete genome sequence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) on January 11, 2020, there has been a global upsurge in the development of a vaccine against COVID-19. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is cooperating with health authorities and vaccine developers in countries around the world to promote the development of new crown vaccines. Once one or more vaccines are approved by the regulatory authorities, the next step is to vaccinate a large number of patients. By that time, glass vials with special properties are essential for distribution, which means that strong vials can protect their contents and will not react chemically with the vaccine solution.

Like many liquid medicines, vaccines are usually packaged in glass bottles instead of ordinary water bottles or plastic bottles. For decades, although containers made of newer materials are entering the market, most pharmaceutical manufacturers have relied on vials made of borosilicate glass.

Borosilicate glass is made primarily from silicon dioxide, the main constituent of sand, with boron oxide and other compounds that help stabilize the glass.  Borosilicate glass “is a chemically inert material and remains unchanged under all normal environmental circumstances,” Döscher says. It is stable and maintains its shape at temperatures as high as 500°C and prevent contamination. However, some metals or other contaminants can be leached from the vial or other packaging materials, such as the elastic seal on the vial. And glass fragments can interact with certain components in the vial, causing the drug to degrade.

Corning researchers tweaked the ingredients in soda-lime glass by adding aluminum and some potassium to develop a formula that prevents delamination and resists breakage. It's called Valor glass container.

Another company called SiO2 Materials Science is turning to plastic medical bottles lined with glass-like coatings. The company applied a nano-scale silicone layer inside the plastic shell to form a chemically inert interior. The company said that these medicine bottles have the advantages of thermal stability, chemical stability, and gas barrier properties, so they are easier to store.  In addition, the limited use of glass makes them less prone to breaking, both on filling lines and in the hands of patients makes them less prone to breaking, both on filling lines and in the hands of patients.  “We have fused the two materials into a better, safer, more durable hybrid.” The company’s website says the resulting vials are mechanically strong and shatterproof. 

Finally, regardless of the material of the glass vials, global manufacturers are increasing production and improving the demand for packaging COVID-19 vaccine. Relevant institutions around the world are committed to developing vaccines, and people all over the world look forward to defeating COVID-19 as soon as possible.