Emirates airline is all set to collaborate with global pharmaceutical maker Pfizer with the aim to mitigate the challenges in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine across the world.

Speaking to media, Emirates president Tim Clark confirmed that the aviation industry is working on assisting the medical sector in establishing an effective channel for distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine across the world, once it receives approval.

He added that the Dubai-based airline is partnering with Pfizer to develop the best ways to transport the vaccine across the globe.

This development has come days after drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech announced that their COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90 per cent effective.

While the findings are yet to be reviewed by peers, they appear to exceed expectations noting that experts were expecting around 60-70 percent effectiveness of the vaccine. So far, the data has come from Phase 3 clinical trials which are still under progress in the laboratories.

In an interview with CNBC on Sunday, Mr Clark said that the aviation industry is seeking to establish best practices involving a third-party supply chain and logistical exercise aimed at ensuring the delivery of the vaccines to all markets globally. However, he added that the logistics of distribution of a vaccine of this nature is going to be a challenging task, noting the circumstances under which it is going to be shipped.

“We’re working on trying to move this Pfizer vaccine in specially designed containers on our planes, in our holds, and in the cabins, and keeping them at that level through the distribution point,” Mr Clark affirmed, adding that there is a unified desire to deliver the vaccines across the world.

One of the most crucial points to consider in this mammoth task is to ensure that the vaccine is kept at a temperature between minus 70°C and minus 80°C.

According to Pfizer and BioNTech, if the vaccine receives approval for mass distribution, they have a capacity to produce about 50 million doses this year, with capacity of manufacturing 1.3 billion more in 2021.

While there are reports indicating that the vaccine may cause mild side-effects such as aches and fever, they are less serious than what is seen in other vaccines.

The vaccine collaboratively produced by Pfizer and BioNTech is one of the 11 vaccines in the world that are undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials. It involves thousands of participants along with testing the effectiveness and any potential harmful side effects.

In an interview on BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, BioNTech co-founder Prof Ugur Sahin warned that the winter season can be problematic for combating the pandemic crisis. However, he added that the effects of the new drug would have significantly positive results.