Initial Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shipments to begin arriving Monday

Army Gen. Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, described Saturday as "D-Day" and the "beginning of the end" of the coronavirus pandemic. That's because the Food and Drug Administration authorized the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for emergency use Friday night, and initial shipments will leave Pfizer's manufacturing plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan, within 24 hours for sites across the United States, the first phase of what should be the country's largest vaccination program ever.

Perna said UPS and FedEx are prepared to deliver around 3 million initial doses to 145 sites Monday, 425 more Tuesday, and 66 locations Wednesday. The sites receiving doses in the first few days include hospitals and other locations that are equipped to meet the ultra-cold storage requirements for the vaccine, The Associated Press notes. Within the next three weeks, local pharmacies and other sites will begin to get their own shipments.

While Perna sounded optimistic about the Operation Warp Speed plan, there are still logistical hurdles, and the number of doses delivered by the end of the year will likely depend on how many vaccines "roll off the production lines." Read more at The Associated Press.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up