KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — With first emergency use authorisations for Covid-19 vaccines expected to be effective in the last quarter of 2020, logistics providers are challenged to rapidly establish medical supply chains to deliver more than ten billion doses worldwide.
DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei managing director Julian Neo said resolving the pandemic lies not just in developing a safe and effective vaccine but also getting it into the hands of an extraordinary number of people.
“Air, ground transport, cargo facilities, and cold chain capabilities are set to be tested like never before to ensure vaccines maintain their efficacy throughout transit and storage,” he said in a statement today.
DHL, working with McKinsey & Company as an analytics partner, has published a white paper on securing a stable supply chain for vaccines and medical goods during Covid-19, and future health crises.
Currently, more than 250 vaccines across seven platforms are being developed and trialled, DHL said.
In the paper, DHL evaluates how the transport of the highly temperature-sensitive vaccines can be managed effectively to combat the further spread of the virus.
DHL said the scope of this task is immense: to provide global coverage of Covid-19 vaccines, up to 200,000 pallet shipments and 15 million deliveries in cooling boxes, as well as 15,000 flights will be required across various supply chains.
According to the study, as Covid-19 vaccines have leapfrogged development phases, stringent temperature requirements (up to -80°C) are likely to be imposed for certain vaccines to ensure their efficacy is maintained during transportation and warehousing.
This poses novel logistics challenges to existing medical supply chains that conventionally distributes vaccines at about 2°C to -8°C.
Neo said battling Covid-19 is far too great an undertaking for any one company or institution to tackle alone.
“We have seen a unique level of cooperation spanning the public and private ecosystem — from governments and regulatory authorities to non-profits and businesses — to address this global health crisis.
“At DHL Express, we are committed to this collaborative effort as we accelerate the delivery of vaccines and medical supplies to where they are needed,” he said.
— Bernama
