Covid-19 vaccines that need to be deep-frozen during transport can be delivered to developing nations in sub-Saharan Africa, South America and South Asia, according to logistics group DHL.
John Pearson, chief executive of the German group’s Express division, which is involved in distributing the jab produced by BioNTech and Pfizer, told the Financial Times it can serve 85 percent of the destinations requested by companies.
The BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, which received emergency approval from the UK regulator on Wednesday, needs to be stored at approximately minus 70 degrees Celsius during transit.
In September, DHL had warned that two-thirds of the world’s population would be unlikely to have easy access to any coronavirus immunization that needed to be stored at freezing temperatures.
This was due to insufficient “last mile” cooling facilities and a lack of appropriate storage units at clinics in parts of Africa, Asia and South America.
But speaking to the Financial Times, Mr Pearson, CEO of DHL’s international shipments division, a UPS and FedEx competitor, said the group, which operates one of the world’s fleets of cargo planes, would be able to reach those destinations.
Recommended “VVhen we’re saying we’ve got the capability, we’re not just saying to London, Frankfurt, New York, absolutely not,” said Mr Pearson. “Our network is delivering to Burundi and Angola every day,” he added. “So
“And whether it’s the vaccine or whether it’s just paperwork or parts, it doesn’t really make a difference.”
The vast majority of the 1.35bn doses that BioNTech and Pfizer plan to produce over the next year will be delivered to the developed world, after the EU, UK, US and Japan signed large supply deals.