The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today released guidelines for the air cargo industry to prepare for the “large-scale distribution” of vaccines for covid-19, given the “logistical challenges” that this delivery will entail.
“The delivery of billions of doses of a vaccine that must be transported and stored in an ultra-frozen state to the world in an efficient manner will involve extremely complex logistical challenges throughout the supply chain”, acknowledges the executive president of IATA, Alexandre de Juniac, in a statement released today.
Noting that “although the immediate challenge is to implement covid-19 test measures to reopen borders without the need to quarantine”, the official points out that aviation must “be prepared”, in logistical terms, for when a vaccine is ready ”.
And it was to ensure that “the air cargo industry is ready to support the delivery, transportation and large-scale distribution of a vaccine” for covid-19 that IATA today released guidelines to the sector, defined in collaboration with the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), among other entities.
“The guidance includes a repository of international standards and guidelines related to the transport of vaccines and will be updated regularly as information is made available to the industry,” explains IATA in the press release.
Specifically, the guidelines point to the need for “governments to re-establish aerial connectivity to ensure the availability of adequate capacity for the distribution of vaccines” and to ensure “deep-frozen facilities throughout the supply chain”, which will have to be managed by “ trained personnel to deal with time and temperature sensitive vaccines ”.
In addition, “timely regulatory approvals and storage and customs clearance by customs and health authorities will be essential”, as well as the adoption of “provisions to ensure that shipments remain safe from tampering and theft”.
Such cargo aviation guidelines were released on the day that modern American pharmaceutical company said its vaccine could be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from ongoing clinical studies.