Sheremetyevo International handles Sputnik V vaccine shipment

Sheremetyevo International Airport was the launching point for an early batch of Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V. In total, 20 doses of the vaccine were transported from Moscow to Serbia where it will be used in clinical trials at the Torlak Public Health Institute.

The vaccine was sent on December 3 on Aeroflot flight SU2090 to Belgrade with the support of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

“Transportation of Sputnik V requires special attention at all points of the logistics chain and strict adherence to special temperature requirements at all stages of transportation,” the airport stated.

“Vaccines are usually transported and stored at two to eight degrees Celsius. However, in order to avoid disrupting the stability of the Covid-19 vaccine, the first batches of the drug must be maintained at ultra-low temperatures. This requires deep freezing during transportation using specialised thermal containers and ice packs.”

On December 2, the cargo was taken by the main cargo operator of the airport, Moscow Cargo LLC, to the warehouse, where “all the necessary temperature requirements and other storage conditions were observed until the container was loaded onto the aircraft”.

Special thermal equipment and isothermal containers are used for the transportation of cargo classified as time & temperature sensitive products, along the apron.

The terminal has 26 independent storage areas for TTSP cargoes, all with individually adjustable temperature conditions from -20 to +25° C, as well as 60 thermo-cells in the automated Pallet/Container Handling System for storing unit load devices (ULDs) holding temperature-sensitive cargo.