At M&R Trailers and Trucks, we manufacture custom built mobile vaccination and COVID testing units right here in Florida. We can build these units in any dimension and setup based on your needs. Give us a call at 904-397-0246 for help with your medical unit build.

Vaccinations, as well as covid testing, are a monumental task seen as a challenge in arresting the spread of the virus. Mobile testing and vaccination can help address this concern by bringing these services directly into communities. Vaccine and testing accessibility can also help de-escalate the government’s consolidated efforts in deterring the spread of covid-19.

One such example is Marion County’s Health Department in West Virginia which utilized a mobile vaccine clinic to reach rural communities throughout the locality. The Marion County Health Department handles over 59,000 individuals, many of whom reside in rural and semi-isolated portions of the county. People residing in sections of western Marion County, for example, are around 25 to 30 miles from the Health Department and the county’s only significant city.

What Can You Do With a Vaccination Trailer?

Mobile Medical Trailer built by M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks.

One challenge that people may have as they become qualified for the COVID-19 vaccine is locating a vaccination location close to their house.

FEMA is collaborating with the CDC and other federal groups to help states, territories, local governments, and tribal governments overcome these obstacles so that everyone who wants to be vaccinated may. One way they’re doing this is through mobile vaccination clinics.

Mobile and pop-up clinics can be set up anywhere with the help of local public health clinics, health care professionals, pharmacies, community and faith-based organizations, employers, private sector vaccine providers, and federal resources.

Reach Remote / Low Income Communities

As in the case of Marion County in West Virginia, vaccination trailers were used to come into rural and semi-isolated portions of the county. In these remote communities, those who are either far or don’t have the means to go to community vaccination sites in order to get their covid vaccination shots can benefit from these vaccination trailers.

Reach Elderly Individuals With Limited Transportation

The elderly community is also one of the primary targets of these vaccination trailers. Those who are of old age and retired with no means of transportation to go into community health centers will be well-served by these vaccination trailers.

Offer Vaccinations At Events Like Concerts, Sporting Events, Etc.

Other than reaching far-flung communities, vaccination trailers can also best serve as alternative vaccination sites. As some individuals tend to be passive into going into community health centers to get their covid shots, why not offer vaccinations where most of them would be found. Setting up mobile vaccination centers in events such as concerts and major sports happenings is a proficient way of distributing covid vaccines.

What Does A Vaccination And Mobile Covid Testing Unit Cost?

Mobile medical trailers can also be utilized as covid-19 immunization and testing facilities, despite the fact that this is a relatively new concept. These facilities are being built not only to fight Covid-19 right now but also to prepare for future pandemics and natural disasters. During flu season, they’re also useful for increasing ER capacity.

Instead of the “Makeshift” hospitals that are cropping up in tents and warehouses across the nation, these are highly evolved medical units that fulfill healthcare facility regulations.

Setting up a mobile covid vaccination and testing unit could entail a considerable cost. Certain factors are at play here, from the mobile trailer itself to your basic medical supplies as well as covid vaccines you may be able to procure, free of cost. Here’s a snapshot of the cost you should be able to consider in setting up your very own mobile covid vaccination and testing unit.

Mobile Medical Trailer

The cost of a new mobile medical unit can set you back at around $45,000. A basic buildout could cost anywhere from $50,000 to $75,000, depending on what goes in. A well-equipped property can range in price from $175,000 to $375,000, depending on the size, features, and facilities included.

Exterior Design and Branding. A mobile covid testing and immunization trailer should appear like one before it is used. In developing your mobile medical unit, exterior styling is critical. Combine this with effective marketing through decals such as body wraps, and you have a professional medical facility on your hands.

A body wrap can be used as a traveling billboard to market your mobile covid testing and vaccination unit. Before buying a full-body wrap, there are layout and wrapping costs to consider, as well as a variety of options for the wrap’s durability. A full-body wrap for a 53-foot (16-meter) double expandable trailer costs between $12,000 and $25,000 USD, depending on the application complexity. The concept, customized graphics, components, and workmanship are all included in the price of the wrap.

Vital Medical Equipment

These are the essential items for identifying your vehicle as a mobile covid testing and vaccination unit.

Pharmacy – $10,000
General Medical Instruments- $10,000 – $20,000
Stethoscope – $50 – $100
Multiple Medical Kits – $500 – 2,000
Weighing Scale – $100
Thermometer – $30 – $100
Wheelchair – $500
Ultrasound Machine – $3,000
Oximeter – $100
Portable Dental X-Ray Unit – $1,000
Vaccine Transport Box – $100

Covid Test Kits

Covid test kit prices may vary depending on what type of kit you want to use for your mobile covid testing and vaccination unit. May it be RT-PCR or Antigen test kits, here are some FDA-Approved covid testing kits available in the market.

ScienCell SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Detection Kit. SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus detection using a real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay in respiratory specimens or patient serum.

Availability: Health care professionals can order online now while supplies last.

Cost: $250.00 + Shipping

Gnomegen COVID-19 RT-Digital PCR Detection Kit. An in vitro RT-digital PCR (RT-digital PCR) test.

Availability: On April 6, the FDA approved its EUA. The FDA’s product literature for this test includes a sales email and phone number, but it doesn’t say whether health care practitioners can order these tests right now.

Cost: Not specified

Luminex ARIES SARS-CoV-2 Assay. This is a sample-to-answer quick diagnostic test to identify SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swabs with a moderate level of complexity. In about two hours, the lab crew receives results.

Availability: Ordering is now available for certified medical practitioners.

Cost: After consumers submit quote requests on the company’s website, they are informed of the price.

Abbot ID NOW™ COVID-19 Assay. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene, which has been linked to SARS-CoV-2, is the target of this test. Direct throat, nasal, nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and viral transport media (VTM) swabs are available for testing in close proximity to the patient. Results are available in under 15 minutes for health care providers, making this a viable alternative for laboratories looking to use FDA-approved testing kits.

Availability: Only available to buyers in the United States.

Cost: Until interested parties contact the company’s sales department, no details are available.

NeuMoDx Molecular™ SARS-CoV-2 Assay. A fast, automated in vitro real-time RT-PCR test that takes about 80 minutes to complete.

Availability: On March 30, the FDA gave this test EUA status. In countries where authorization is granted, NeuMoDx MolecularTM will also enable access to research-use-only (RUO) assays.

Cost: Upon request, the company can provide this information.

What Equipment Can Be Installed In A Mobile Vaccination / Testing Unit?

Mobile Testing Labs can be utilized as swab stations and portable immunization sites for fast COVID-19 testing. These testing facilities provide a secure atmosphere for your employees and prevent cross-contamination, which could lead to inaccurate results. The key to controlling the spread of this virus is testing.

Infrastructure

The following equipment is considered essential equipment in operating not just mobile medical clinics, but offsite mobile vaccination and testing sites such as a mobile covid vaccination and testing unit.

  • Dependable electricity and water supply.
  • As needed, access to phones, computer networks, the internet, and computer hardware.
  • Ability to keep a temperature range of 19 to 25 degrees in a room.

Physical Setting

The following items are considered essential for patient and staff workability and safety.

  • Provide sufficient space for patients waiting to be vaccinated that meets physical distancing criteria and is protected from the elements.
  • Establish a separate, clean, well-lit location for administering the vaccine to patients, complete with a desk and chairs for patients, parents/caregivers, and the vaccine provider (s).
  • Provide sufficient room for patients to wait and be watched after immunization while adhering to the physical distancing requirements.
  • Staff should have access to adequate handwashing facilities and antibacterial hand sanitizers.

Cold Chain Management

The following equipment is vital for covid vaccine storage and preservation since covid vaccines are known to be delicate to store.

  • Sufficient quantity and capacity of refrigerators for vaccine storage, with refrigerators, maintained and monitored at 2–8 degrees Celsius.
  • Applicable refrigerators and transparent containers for storing vaccine syringes that have been prepared for administration at the proper temperature and incubated at room temperature from the time they are prepared until they are administered.

Waste Disposal

As in many mobile medical clinics, proper waste disposal is essential especially for this type of facility since covid is highly contagious and improper disposal of waste can mean danger.

  • Equipment for properly disposing of all trash, particularly needles and leftover vaccines, according to specified precautions.

Some rural households were unable to obtain the H1N1 vaccine due to a combination of travel distance, winter roads, and vaccine clinic hours that were limited. Standard immunization clinics performed in public health departments, institutions, and community centers were not accessing residents of some of the more rural troughs, according to the health department.

The health department collaborated with the Office of Emergency Services (OES) to administer vaccines to persons living in distant areas using the OES mobile command center. The facility is housed in a 30-foot pull-behind trailer that has been customized to fulfill the requirements of a mobile vaccination campaign. The mobile clinic visited nine different places throughout the county, spending one to two hours at each location dispensing immunization. Because some of the areas visited by the mobile clinic had populations of less than 100 people, planners chose a strategic place, such as a country shop or community center, to park the clinic.