Pfizer and Moderna have developed vaccines that need to be deep frozen. Most freight distribution companies and medical facilities don’t have super-cold freezers, so governments and industry are mobilizing resources until less sensitive vaccines come along that they are equipped to handle.
The Defense Department, the biggest logistics organization in the world, is putting its expertise to work developing a strategic plan for efficiently delivering a COVID vaccine to every corner of the country.
Air freight demand for COVID-19 vaccines will be massive, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
COVID vaccines will be the highest priority for air cargo companies, and that means other types of shipments could sit in warehouses waiting to catch a flight if space is short.
In the world of politics, the complicated distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine is greatly simplified. It must be for messaging and public confidence. President Trump, in his rallies and in the first presidential 2020 debate, said the deployment was “logistically all set up” using soldiers to deliver “200,000 a day.” But is it really that simple? Absolutely not.
The challenges of delivering a coronavirus vaccine to 8 billion people are immense, but over time more logistics companies will be able to participate as shipping tolerances ease.
Airline industry experts are just guesstimating when they say 8,000 big freighter planes will be needed to rush COVID vaccines to the public. Until we know more about the shipping requirements and packaging logistics, folks will still be in the dark.
How do you prepare for the Super Bowl if you don’t know who your opponent is? That’s how airlines and freight managers feel about preparations for transporting a COVID-19 vaccine when one is approved because manufacturers aren’t freely sharing shipping details.
More airlines and logistics firms are fortifying their pharmaceutical handling capabilities and credentials ahead of an expected COVID-19 vaccine release. Several companies this week announced new product offerings, investments or logistics arrangements aimed at vaccine manufacturers. Industry officials have warned that there isn’t enough cold-chain infrastructure worldwide to support an immediate delivery schedule, and urged […]
President Donald Trump is trying to fast-track a COVID-19 vaccine and appears ready to mobilize military assets. A possible scenario involves an airlift with Air Force cargo jets, which offer two advantages: speed and cold storage.
From trucking, security and data exchange to customs and civil aviation permissions, the Amsterdam airport is covering all the bases for rushing out approved coronavirus vaccines.
The U.S. government is coordinating with the private sector how to quickly deliver a COVID-19 vaccine, but under one scenario officials are contemplating the military could deploy giant cargo planes to carry refrigerated trucks full of vaccines.
Rosenthal predicts Internet-based distribution to jump as high as 50%.
The freight-forwarding arms of DHL and DB Schenker are adding air capacity by leasing aircraft from all-cargo operators. The new services and features from DHL and FedEx are designed to meet growing demand associated with COVID and greater temperature requirements.
New medicines and life science products are more valuable and temperature-sensitive than before, requiring special storage and transportation conditions. Will there be enough of this infrastructure to handle a COVID vaccine?
Whether or not President Donald Trump’s optimism about an October surprise comes to fruition, there could be an approved coronavirus vaccine next year. A giant flotilla of all-cargo planes will be deployed to deliver the medicine around the world, but airlines are already short of capacity and there isn’t yet enough refrigerated infrastructure to safely store that much vaccine. Airlines are issuing a call to action.
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