KUALA LUMPUR (July 5): Logistics provider DHL Express delivered the US government’s donation of around one million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Malaysia today as part of a recent commitment by the US to assist with recovery efforts worldwide.

This shipment was made possible via the COVAX global vaccine sharing programme that aims to accelerate global equitable access to immunisation against the pandemic.

“As DHL Express continues to leverage our global network and strong medical logistics expertise to ensure that these life-saving vaccines arrive safely and promptly, we must also remind ourselves of the need for collaboration among various parties and countries to manage this public health crisis effectively,” said DHL Express chief executive officer (CEO) for Asia-Pacific Ken Lee in a statement today.

DHL Express arranged for the collection of the vaccines from facilities in the US before they were airlifted from the company's Cincinnati hub to its Subang gateway, where it would be distributed to designated locations in Kuala Lumpur. From door-to-door, the journey spanned only four days in complete compliance with stringent handling and storage requirements.

“To date, DHL has transported more than 300 million doses of approved vaccines worldwide, five million of which were to Malaysia,” said Julian Neo, the managing director of DHL Express for Malaysia and Brunei. “The shipment today marks another milestone in combating the spread of Covid-19 and contributing to the country’s recovery."