09/14/2020

Coronavirus Tracker: Vaccine Distribution Will Be “the Mission of the Century”

Sept. 14, 2020

Current updates on association response to the global COVID-19 crisis, along with a roundup of conference, travel and business news and information.

Planning Vaccine Distribution
When nearly everyone on the planet needs a product virtually all at once, conventional shipping logistics won’t cut it. That’s the situation that will face the world’s supply chain and distribution infrastructure when a hoped-for COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, according to the International Air Transport Association.

“The potential size of the delivery is enormous. Just providing a single dose to 7.8 billion people would fill 8,000 747 cargo aircraft,” IATA said in a press release on Sept. 9.

Vaccines must be transported in line with international regulatory requirements and under conditions and timelines that protect the quality of the product. IATA said temperature-controlled facilities and equipment, as well as staff training and enhanced security, will be essential.

“Safely delivering COVID-19 vaccines will be the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry. But it won’t happen without careful advance planning," said IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac. "And the time for that is now. We urge governments to take the lead in facilitating cooperation across the logistics chain so that the facilities, security arrangements, and border processes are ready for the mammoth and complex task ahead."

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.