American Airlines Delivers 3 Million Vaccines Abroad

American Airlines delivered 3 million COVID-19 vaccines to Guatemala City yesterday, July 20, as part of President Biden’s COVID-19 Task Force, which aims to share 80 million vaccines with countries in need around the world.

According to an American Airlines press release, the airline has now moved 4.5 million COVID-19 vaccines to Guatemala, a country in desperate need of more vaccinations.

Our World in Data’s latest vaccination information reveals that while the global full vaccination rate is a little over 13 percent, Guatemala’s full vaccination rate is just under 1.5 percent, with only 4.3 percent partially vaccinated.

“We share President Biden and the White House’s commitment to bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said American Airlines President Robert Isom. “Whether it is keeping the economy moving by adding cargo-only flights during the height of the pandemic or providing essential air travel for those who needed it, our team has remained ready to rise to any challenge. We are proud to be part of this life-saving effort to get the vaccine to the Guatemalan people.”

American has been shipping COVID-19 vaccines since December 2020, making more than 9,400 cargo flights shipping pharmaceuticals, vaccines and more in its special temperature-regulated planes.

It has earned the International Air Transport Association’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) certification, the highest honor for airlines that ensure life sciences products, like COVID-19 vaccines, remain effective during transport.