Photo By Stacy Umstead | From August through September, DLA Distribution Susquehanna, Pa., is expected to...... read more read more
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SUSQUEHANNA, Pa. - Action plans are under way to tackle this year’s flu season, and the Defense Logistics Agency is already geared up to support Defense Department efforts.
Members of the DLA Distribution team in New Cumberland, Pa., along with representatives from DLA Headquarters, DLA Troop Support, the Military Vaccine Agency, military services and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense Health Affairs met last month to discuss this year’s requirements.
“The planning session involved discussions surrounding product overviews, policies and a review of the ordering and shipping process, said Scott Sheipe, DLA Distribution’s cold-chain program manager. “With vaccines arriving earlier this year, we wanted to ensure collaboration of efforts among the agencies.”
Together, the agencies are working toward a goal of having 90 percent of all military members inoculated by December, and DLA will play a huge part in making that happen, officials said.
DLA Troop Support serves as the contracting agency for the annual flu vaccine, and officials from that organization are working with customers to determine requirements and the vendors to fulfill those requirements.
“DLA Distribution, specifically, our Susquehanna facility, receives, stores, packages and ships the vaccines to the services, including civilians, retired military and their dependents,” Sheipe said.
“August through September, DLA Distribution Susquehanna, Pa., is expected to receive approximately 2.5 million doses of the annual flu vaccine,” Sheipe said.
Susquehanna representatives are trained and ready to properly handle, package and ship the commodity, he said.
“Specific packaging protocols are followed by employees, including packaging the vaccines in a refrigerated room,” Sheipe added.
Maintaining cold-chain protocols is vital to the shipment process and preserving the integrity of the vaccine.
“The vaccines are packaged in insulated containers with frozen gel packs to maintain a temperature range between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit. All shipments include a temperature monitor within the container to record temperatures every 15 minutes,” Sheipe said. “This ensures there is no compromise in quality during transit to our troops.”
DLA Distribution has played an integral role in combating the annual flu season. The organization has processed more than 14.3 million doses of vaccines within the past six years.
| Date Taken: | 08.17.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 09.05.2012 16:29 |
| Story ID: | 94258 |
| Location: | SUSQUEHANNA, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, DLA organizations preparing for 2012-2013 flu season, by Stacy Umstead, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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