DHL has started the international distribution of COVID-19 vaccines with the first batches flown to Israel last week. 

In a statement, DHL said the first DHL Express aircraft touched down at the Ben- Gurion International Airport Tel Aviv last Wednesday morning and was received by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Its international freight arm, DHL Global Forwarding, also dedicated a charter flight for additional supplies of vaccine doses, which arrived at the Ben-Gurion airport on December 10, at 3.00 PM local time.

Further flights to various countries are scheduled for 2020 and beyond. 

“After numerous month of preparation we are happy that our mission of vaccine distribution has now started and we could contribute our logistics expertise and capabilities to make vaccine accessible worldwide,” says Travis Cobb, head of global Network Operations and Aviation at DHL Express.
 

“The current crisis has shown how indispensable international logistics networks are for ensuring that societies have the necessary personal protective equipment and test kits to secure their health," he added, noting that DHL's teams across 220 countries and territories and our global network as the backbone of cross-border Express logistics is “ready to deliver anytime and anywhere.”

“The development of a Coronavirus vaccine is a silver lining and we are proud to play an active role as the most global logistics provider in bringing this silver lining to people,” Thomas Mack, head of Global Airfreight, DHL Global Forwarding added.

More vaccine flights to follow

In addition to the first flights to Israel, DHL said it is preparing to carry out further flights in December with vaccines from its worldwide operating hubs.

The global logistics operator noted that its more than 9,000 specialists are working across DHL’s dedicated global network so that pharmaceutical, medical devices, clinical trials and research organizations, wholesalers and distributors, as well as hospitals and healthcare providers are connected across the value chain and through digitalization, from clinical trials to point of care, and every step in between. 

DHL’s portfolio for the healthcare industry includes 150+ pharmacists, 20+ clinical trials depots, 100+ certified stations, 160+ GDP-qualified warehouses, 15+ GMP-certified sites, 135+ medical express sites, and a time-definite international express network covering 220 countries and territories.

"To provide global coverage of the next two years, up to 200k pallet shippers and 15m cooling boxes as well as 15k flights will be required across the various supply chain setups. With an aircraft fleet of more than 260 dedicated planes, numerous partner airlines and a hub and gateway network spanning more than 220 countries and territories DHL is optimally equipped and prepared for a worldwide supply of COVID-19 vaccines," it said.

Meanwhile, DHL said as COVID-19 vaccines have leapfrogged development phases, stringent temperature requirements (up to -80°C) will likely be imposed for certain vaccines to ensure the effectiveness of the vaccines during transportation and warehousing.