Today saw the first flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Bonaire and Aruba carrying a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines destined for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is the first of several shipments that will deliver the vaccines to the various islands in the coming weeks. The vaccines were loaded into the aircraft in the presence of Dutch State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport, Paul Blokhuis, responsible for healthcare in the Dutch Caribbean, and Pieter Elbers, CEO of KLM.
The Air France KLM Martinair Cargo division handles more than 80,000 pharmaceutical shipments annually and has many years of experience transporting temperature-controlled medicines. The distribution of Covid-19 vaccines poses specific transport and security challenges and the division has developed a dedicated process to ensure swift, reliable and safe distribution.
Dry ice
Each of the various vaccines has its own temperature requirements: +2 to +8 degrees Celsius, frozen at ‑20 degrees Celsius, or between ‑70 and ‑80 degrees Celsius. It is vital that these temperatures are guaranteed throughout the entire transport operation. The Pfizer vaccine shipped to Bonaire and Aruba today has been packed with dry ice. This will keep it at the right temperature for several days, as long the containers are stored in an environment of between +2 to +25 degrees Celsius. Upon arrival on Bonaire and Aruba, the vaccines are immediately stored in a suitable temperature-controlled environment.
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