Rigorous planning and testing to ensure supply chain supports vaccine’s stringent temperature requirements
TOKYO, JAPAN – Media OutReach – 16 February 2021 – DHL, the
leading global brand in the logistics industry today announced the successful
delivery of the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines on a cargo flight from
Belgium to Japan. The first of numerous shipments that will be delivered
throughout the year, the vaccines were packed with sophisticated GPS and
temperature trackers in each thermal shipper box to provide full visibility
throughout the shipment’s entire journey. DHL Global Forwarding also handled
the customs clearance in Japan, and will dispatch the vaccines to vaccination
facilities across Japan.
“We are proud to play a role in helping the people of Japan
receive their vaccinations for COVID-19, which has upended lives and businesses
here. While DHL Global Forwarding’s well-established cold-chain network and
pharmaceutical logistics expertise were key to the success of the shipment, our
dedicated employees were the true unsung heroes who meticulously planned every
last detail to manage an extremely complex operation seamlessly,” said Kelvin
Leung, CEO DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.
To safely store the
vaccines at -70 degrees until the final domestic delivery, freezers were
installed at the storage facility, where additional workers have been employed
to support the operations.
Charles Kaufmann, CEO, North Asia & South Pacific, DHL
Global Forwarding and President/ Representative Director, DHL Global Forwarding
Japan K.K. added, “We have more than 9,000 life science and healthcare specialists
across our global network. Over the past few months, our specialist teams in Japan, together with our global
counterparts have spent countless hours planning,
strategizing and stress-testing our network and infrastructure to ensure we have the capability to move vaccines safely in
accordance with the strictest requirements.”
Across the globe, DHL has been entrusted with the shipments
of COVID-19 vaccines to Singapore, Israel, and European
countries including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Finland,
Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Romania and Sweden.
DHL’s portfolio for the life
science and 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.
Globally, logistics providers are challenged to establish medical supply chains rapidly to deliver vaccines of
unprecedented amount of more than 10 billion doses worldwide, including in
regions with less developed logistics infrastructure, where
approximately three billion people live. To provide global coverage over the next two years, DHL estimated in
its vaccine whitepaper report that up to 200,000 pallet shippers and 15 million
cooling boxes as well as 15,000 flights will be required across the
various supply chain setups.
DHL – The logistics company for the world
DHL is the leading global
brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled
portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel
delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express,
road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about
380,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL
connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global
sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and
industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering,
manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively
positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.
DHL is part of Deutsche Post
DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 63 billion euros in 2019.
With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the
environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. Deutsche
Post DHL Group aims to achieve zero-emissions logistics by 2050.
