DHL Delivers First Batch of Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccines and Diluents to the Philippines

• Rigorous planning and testing were undertaken by DHL to ensure supply chains support the vaccine’s stringent temperature requirements 

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach – 10 May 2021 – DHL Express, the world’s leading express service provider, today announced the successful delivery of Covid-19 vaccines to the Philippines. DHL Express arranged the arrival of the vaccines on a cargo flight from Belgium to the Philippines. At the same time, the diluents for the vaccines were delivered from the manufacturing site in the United States to an accredited warehouse in the Philippines a day before the vaccines arrived.

DHL delivers first batch of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines and diluents to the Philippines

“We are as much grateful to DHL for facilitating the safe transport of the donated vaccines and diluents as we are to the COVAX Facility for the additional supply. The additional supply will be critical as we seek to inoculate more of our high-risk individuals in the country. With more vaccines to come in the next few months, let us continue to put our trust in vaccines and in science. Together, we will be able to overcome this obstacle and rise again as a nation.” said Francisco Duque III, Secretary, Department of Health.

The vaccines were delivered in specially designed thermal shipper packaging and 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 also packed within each thermal shipper box to provide full visibility throughout the shipment’s entire journey.

Ken Lee, CEO DHL Express Asia Pacific said, “Having crossed the one-million mark in Covid-19 cases recently, the Philippines is ramping up its vaccination efforts, with healthcare workers even making house visits to administer vaccinations for those who are unable to leave their homes. As the world’s leading express service provider, we are proud to leverage our capabilities and network to transport this life-saving cargo, in accordance to stringent logistics requirements, to the country. We are committed to supporting the Philippine government in getting through the pandemic and living up to our purpose of ‘Connecting People, Improving Lives’.”

More than 9,000 life sciences and healthcare specialists work across DHL’s dedicated global network so that pharmaceutical, medical devices, clinical trials and research organisations, wholesalers and distributors, as well as hospitals and healthcare providers are connected across the value chain and through digitalisation, from clinical trials to point of care, and every step in between.

“The Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact people’s health and livelihoods. We are privileged to make a positive contribution by partnering with the Department of Health in bringing the first vaccine shipment into the country,” added, Nurhayati Abdullah, Country Manager, DHL Express Philippines. “Our utmost priority is to ensure that the vaccines reach those in need and we are confident that our extensive network and experience position us well to take on this global challenge.”

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 a time-definite international express network covering over 220 countries and territories.

On a global scale, logistics providers are challenged to establish medical supply chain rapidly to deliver vaccines of unprecedented amount of more than 10 billion doses worldwide—also in regions with less developed logistics infrastructures, where approximately 3 billion people live. To provide global coverage over the next two years, DHL estimated in its vaccine logistics whitepaper 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.