The United States is gearing up for large-scale distribution of Pfizer and BioNTech’s corona vaccine. Transport companies, governments, the military and hospitals all play a role in that mega operation, American media reports.
About 3 million doses of the vaccine are predictable to be distributed in a week, The New York Times reports. According to the newspaper, these are intended for healthcare workers and residents of nursing homes. The drug will be provided free of charge.
States and some major cities have provided national governments with lists of locations where the vaccine can be delivered. It mainly concerns hospitals. The agent should be stored at very low temperatures. That means it cannot be stored everywhere.
Transport is also a challenge. Cargo carriers and airlines have been preparing for that mammoth operation for months. The vaccine is shipped in special boxes called dry ice. The temperature is continuously monitored during transport to hospitals.
The packaging also includes equipment to track the location of the load. Transportation companies such as FedEx and UPS have reportedly set up special command centres to monitor the transportation operation.
The US has signed a deal to purchase 100 million Pfizer vaccines. According to American media, about a quarter of this must be delivered this year.
The Pennsylvania Secretary of Health said it would require a “Hercules-like effort” to distribute the drug and vaccinate Americans on a large scale. “Our country has never seen all like this.”
