Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport's airfreight industry now is home to a task force comprising representatives from shippers, drugmakers, forwarders, airlines, ground handlers and trucking companies that want to ensure safe handling of Covid-19 vaccine shipments based on different temperature ranges.

The 'vaccine readiness group' will decide how to map capacity across the air supply chain and develop contingency plans. 

 

Already there are concerns that the logistics sector does not have the adequate cold storage facilities or equipment needed to transport millions of temperature-sensitive vaccines under strict protocols globally.

 

“We have a strong pharma and air cargo community at Schiphol, we know what we are talking about and we will be ready for what is coming,” said Maarten van As, Air Cargo Netherlands' managing director. 

 

“It is not just the Netherlands, it is about getting the vaccine distributed at speed to the world.”