DHL Express delivers vaccines to Thailand

DHL Express has delivered the first batch of 1.5 million Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by the United States government to Thailand. From door-to-door in just three days, DHL Express flew the vaccines in thermal packaging and subsequently arranged for it to be sent directly to a designated warehouse in Thailand.

The arrival of 1.5 million doses, part of the US donation to South East Asian countries, aims to help Thailand and the region accelerate their vaccination programs and provide equitable access to immunisation as to keep their populations safe, and ensure that their economies can recover quickly.

One of the key challenges faced in the shipment of the COVID-19 vaccines is the stringent temperature requirements of the vaccine. The vaccine was delivered in specially designed thermal shipper packaging customised by the manufacturer. Each shipment was packed with dry ice to regulate the temperature, enabling its use in locations that lack the physical infrastructure to otherwise maintain the required temperature. Temperature trackers equipped with sophisticated GPS technology are fitted within each thermal shipping box to provide full visibility throughout the shipment's entire journey.

DHL Express arranged for the collection of the vaccines from facilities in the US before it was airlifted to the DHL Express Bangkok Hub and Gateway, where they would then be distributed to designated locations in Thailand.

On a global scale, logistics providers are challenged to establish medical supply chains to deliver more than 10 billion doses worldwide, including in regions with less developed logistics infrastructures, where approximately 3 billion people live.