Amid COVID-19 vaccinations rolling out across the world DHL Global Forwarding (DHL) has committed to delivery of additional doses of the vaccines on a weekly basis to both Australian and New Zealand shores, further to the first successful delivery on February 15.
To support the Australian government’s inoculation program DHL, the air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, arranged for the collection and airfreight of the vaccines from the manufacturing site in Europe and upon the vaccines’ arrival in Australia, handled the customs clearance and final delivery to a designated location.
DHL Global Forwarding North Asia & South Pacific CEO, Charles Kaufmann, said the role of logistics will be essential to the success of vaccination programs across the world.
“Logistics plays a critical role in getting vaccines to where it is urgently needed. Globally, across many markets, our cold-chain network and pharmaceutical logistics expertise have meticulously planned every last detail to manage an extremely complex operation seamlessly”, he said.
In December last year, the Australian Department of Health announced contracts with logistics partners, including DHL Supply Chain, to design and operate a national distribution network to support nationwide vaccinations even in remote and hard to reach areas.
DHL Global Forwarding Australia Managing Director, George Lawson, said across DHL’s dedicated global network, more than 9,000 specialists work to connect pharmaceutical and research organisations, wholesalers and distributors, as well as hospitals and healthcare providers across the value chain.
“The shipments were delivered on time, and most importantly, in the right condition according to strict requirements. That’s the result of many months of rigorous planning to ensure the vaccines are delivered within the fastest possible time while ensuring the quality, safety and security of these critical shipments”, he said.
“Connecting People, Improving Lives is part of our Group’s core purpose. As we join the global response to the pandemic, we live this by doing what we do best – providing first rate logistics in the communities we operate in,” Lawson added.
Marks their expansion of DHL’s global presence in vaccine logistics The strength of DHL’s global logistics network is deployed in Australia’s on-going response to the COVID-19.
With this contract, DHL expands its global presence in vaccine distribution. DHL’s portfolio for the 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 an international network covering 220 countries and territories.