Immunizing the world for a brighter tomorrow – ocean freight will play a pivotal role

 

The challenge of equitable access

For governments and health authorities around the world, COVID-19 vaccine availability is at the top of their agendas, and the disparity in vaccine access between countries is evident despite the ramp-up of global production. To address this issue, the WHO (World Health Organization) led the development of a Fair Allocation Framework to ensure that successful COVID-19 vaccines and treatments are shared equitably across all countries.

The WHO is also one of the leaders of the global alliance known as COVAX, which coordinates international resources to enable countries equitable access to COVID-19 tests, therapies and vaccines, regardless of a country’s economic strength. Identifying how supply chains can be optimized to meet the ongoing demand for vaccines is key to the successful protection of citizens in these countries.

Airfreight is the fast option, while also the most expensive option and outside the reach of many countries with developing economies. But the increasingly sophisticated, reliable, well-controlled active refrigeration technology now available through using ocean reefer containers brings a viable, cost-effective and more environmentally friendly solution into play.

 

 

Ocean freight alongside logistics is the viable, flexible solution

Vaccines with a “shelf life” over six months could be highly suitable for movement by ocean. Before the pandemic struck, leading pharmaceutical companies were already recognizing the advantages of ocean over air because of fewer touchpoints along the journey and, therefore, more security.

Using ocean freight also requires a flexible, multi-modal partner who can design a solution that will work in the most challenging delivery environment. As more and more vaccines become available, end-to-end solutions will be the ideal choice, such as the ones CEVA Logistics offers through its ocean transport providers, including its parent company, CMA CGM.

 

 

Why ocean freight works

What makes ocean freight a possible solution? Preserving the integrity of a product is essential for the movement of any pharmaceutical product, especially vaccines, and ocean freight reefer containers are designed to do just that. Supported by highly trained staff who can offer 24/7 expert technical support means greater security from people who understand the industry. Many pharma shippers already prefer ocean over air because of the reduced number of handovers.

CEVA Logistics and CMA CGM transport products according to GDP guidelines and are ISO 9001:2015 certified. Their teams reinforce security with their strict internal procedures to maintain the highest standards in the industry.

CMA CGM is a fully GDP compliant ocean line and a pioneer in the field, being involved in the transportation of various medications all across the globe for more than a decade. The technology used in its reefer units allows CMA CGM to answer an extensive range of needs, from the most standard of medications to highly specific products like blood plasma, which is carried every day in its -30°C reefers on transatlantic and transpacific trades.

 

The transportation of temperature-sensitive products such as vaccines and insulin at a +2° to +8°C range is also a daily activity for CMA CGM through its tailored pharma Value Added Service, ensuring it can provide a fully compliant service to even the most demanding destinations such as the Arabian Gulf, South East Asia, Latin America or East and West Africa. The further advantage of reefer services is that vaccines that are required to be kept as low as -20˚C can be safely transported at the right temperatures.

Smart reefer containers mean vaccines can be carried at scale in containers and can be temperature and humidity controlled with 24/7, live monitoring, with other technical parameters also possible. The whole process is controlled by a series of strategically located control towers around the world, providing transparency and security to both the manufacturers and the end customers, in this case government or health agencies.

Governments traditionally do not have the experts in place to organize and execute supply chain solutions for pharmaceutical products of any description, let alone vaccines required to be kept at specific temperatures in all circumstances. Instead, they can rely on outside expertise in the global supply chain, and a single-source provider for both the transport of the goods and the final destination delivery is the clear answer.

 

Reap the benefits in the future

Putting the supply chain in place and having it functioning correctly — safely and efficiently — will reap benefits in the future when vaccine supplies need to be replenished or when new vaccines are required to combat new strains of this or other viruses.

While the first doses of a vaccine into a country will often require the speed of airfreight as the preferred transportation method, careful second dose planning and the potential future booster doses could be transported via ocean freight, reefer solutions. Considering a complementary ocean freight strategy could allow governments to vaccinate their citizens best, while also managing their healthcare budgets.

Embedding logistics into the vaccination process is essential to the success of a program.