Development of vaccines for COVID-19 and its variants continues to present challenges such as accelerated timelines. Since there is not the usual time available for selection, evaluation, and qualification of the package and delivery systems, risks must be mitigated at every phase. For vaccines packaged in prefilled syringes, use of an elastomer plunger laminated with FluroTec^® film can help.

Page McAndrew PhD

September 16, 2021

In July, the western states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany experienced devastating floods caused by days of extreme rainfall. Our Eschweiler and Stolberg production sites and Kiefernweg Campus were not directly impacted; however, the communities were heavily affected. While we are thankful that none of our team members were injured, we empathize with many of them who are dealing with damage to their homes and personal property, as well as trauma caused by such a devastating event.

Gillian Power

September 14, 2021

One of the challenges of sharing technical content is making the material engaging and easily digestible to many different types of learners. It must not only be scientifically accurate, but also needs to capture and keep the attention of the intended audience. The Knowledge Center on West’s website is a valuable repository of written and presented materials, created by the experts who develop and test our products. It is also now home to the Learning Center, a section of the Knowledge Center that shares information on a more introductory level, aimed at new employees or companies that are new to packaging. In an effort to continue enhancing our website content, we are now also starting to add new types of media. In the age of podcasts and vlogs (video blogs), we understand that video and audio are just as helpful (maybe more so!) for people trying to grasp a new concept.

Tara Haarlander

September 10, 2021