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BEIJING: With the coronavirus vaccine possibly ready for public use in November 2020, the rapid launch of candidate vaccines still poses great logistical challenges in global vaccine transport.
While China has yet to export coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine candidates for use in non-clinical trials, all stakeholders in the supply chain, from vaccine producers to departments and suppliers of relevant logistics, have been fully prepared for global transportation to meet unprecedented challenges. .
International organizations promoting the equitable distribution of vaccines around the world have also shown their support in dealing with potential threats.
China has promised to give priority access to a vaccine to a list of countries, mainly in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. Many countries may have to depend on China for global transportation of the Covid-19 vaccine, considering its advanced equipment and more developed logistics system.
China’s top three coronavirus vaccine suppliers, Sinopharm, CanSino and Sinovac, are working out detailed plans for international procurement and transportation with relevant authorities, a senior expert working with SF Express, who is in charge of logistics. global of the Covid-19 vaccine, but prefers not to be. named, he told the Global Times on Monday.
Leading vaccine producer Sinopharm has so far received orders for Covid-19 vaccines for more than 500 million doses, but its current production capacity cannot meet all orders, the anonymous expert said.
A shortage of packaged materials, such as glass bottles and rubber stoppers, is also limiting the speed at which Sinopharm can currently export its vaccines.
To save packaging materials, another leading company, CanSino, will export the raw pulp used to develop the Covid-19 vaccine in cans rather than directly exporting the packaged vaccine, according to the lead expert.
China’s vaccine suppliers and logistics companies are constantly working on plans for international transportation routes in recent weeks and are in close communication with relevant international organizations and airlines. Chinese vaccine manufacturers are also actively seeking export licenses from the Chinese government.
International shipments of Chinese-produced vaccines to foreign markets are expected to begin in mid-December. The transportation plan must be specified at least one month in advance in order to settle the financial invoice and the purchase of the equipment, the expert added.
“For example, the cost of transporting vaccines to Brazil on charter flights is about 7 million yuan ($ 1.05 million), so it is likely that airlines will stop at the transfer station and replenish other sources in transit to balance economic costs. But stopping is a greater risk for the vaccine, requiring a more professional team, “said the expert.
The World Health Organization estimates that up to 50 percent of vaccines can be wasted globally each year due to temperature control, logistics, and shipping-related issues.
“The distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine will be unlike any previous logistical challenge. It will have to reach almost 200 countries in a relatively short period of time and it will have to move safely to ensure full compliance with cold chain temperature requirements, ”said Glyn Hughes, head of freight for the International Transport Association. Aerial. Global Times in a recent interview.
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