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India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has asked the country’s aviation industry to prepare for a vaccine deployment. Transporting the vaccine is a difficult task forcing airlines, airports and ground support teams to work together. As India nears its first vaccine doses to reach people, the industry must be ready.
Be ready
In a statement seen by Indian Express, the Secretary of Civil Aviation called on the industry to begin preparing for the imminent deployment of the vaccine. He said plans,
“All major stakeholders – airports, airlines and ground agents – have been alerted and asked to make their plans. The exact SOPs will be formulated with the Ministry of Health and the Department of Pharmaceuticals when we know the exact requirements of the vaccine – what precautions need to be taken, how it should be transported, and what other measures are needed. “
The plans will likely include each company’s ability to transport vaccines, necessary cold chain facilities, and any additional resources. Although it depends a lot on the specific vaccine, general facilities will need to be prepared very soon.
In the coming weeks, the government will work out the formal procedure for handling and transporting vaccines. India has yet to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, with the most likely candidate being Oxford-AstraZeneca.
Deployment of the vaccine in India
The most important part of transporting COVID-19 vaccines is maintaining an end-to-end cold chain. India has some distinct advantages in this process for several reasons. First, the vaccine most likely to be approved first is the one made by Oxford and AstraZeneca, which only requires refrigerator temperatures (2-8 ° C).
This separates the vaccine from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are already transported around the world, and must be stored at -70 ° C. Second, this vaccine is made in India itself, which allows for shorter domestic flights. The production site is located in Pune, India, a well-connected domestic airport.
Most countries currently operate long-haul flights to bring Pfizer and Moderna vaccines from Europe and the United States. U.S. airlines are also transporting the vaccine to the domestic market right now. UK approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine today could mean India is just days away from its own rollout.
Hit the ground while running
As millions of people around the world begin to receive their first doses, India has a huge task ahead. India plans to deliver between 600 and 800 million doses in the next six to eight months, according to the Times of India. Approval for the vaccine could come as early as next week, meaning airlines need to be ready at short notice.
Almost 50 million snapshots are already ready for transport, which means the process could begin very soon for airlines. Transporting the vaccine will undoubtedly be the biggest mission of the aviation industry this year and next.
What do you think of the vaccine deployment plans? Let us know in the comments below!
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