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KALAMAZOO, Michigan: The first trucks carrying a COVID-19 vaccine for widespread use in the United States were recalled from a Michigan manufacturing plant on Sunday (Dec. 13), and the vaccines that are critical to stopping the coronavirus outbreak in the nation they begin in earnest day after.
The Pfizer vaccine shipments will launch the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history at a critical juncture in the pandemic that has killed 1.6 million and sickened 71 million worldwide.
A truck loaded with Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine leaves Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo’s manufacturing facility in Portage, Michigan, on December 13, 2020 (AP Photo / Morry Gash, Pool).
Initially, around three million doses were expected to ship, and the priority is healthcare workers and nursing home residents as infections, hospitalizations and deaths skyrocket in the US. Figures likely to worsen over the holidays, the vaccine offers a boost in the fight against the pandemic that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans.
Federal officials say the first shipments of the Pfizer vaccine will be staggered and will reach 145 distribution centers on Monday, with an additional 425 sites receiving shipments on Tuesday and the remaining 66 on Wednesday. The vaccine, jointly developed by German partner BioNTech, is distributed based on the adult population of each state.
Boxes containing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are ready to be shipped to Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo’s manufacturing facility in Portage, Michigan on December 13, 2020 (AP Photo / Morry Gash, Pool).
Pennsylvania healthcare giant UPMC has chosen the staff who are critical to the operation of its facility from among those receiving the first round of vaccines, said Dr. Graham Snyder, who led the Vaccine Task Force of the center.
“It is very exciting. I will be excited that moment when we administer our first dose,” Snyder said on Saturday.
Snyder said the UPMC system estimates that half of its employees are willing to receive the vaccine as soon as it is offered.
The vaccine is going to hospitals and other sites that can store it in extremely low temperatures, around 94 degrees below zero. Pfizer is using dry ice containers and GPS sensors to ensure each shipment stays colder than the weather in Antarctica.
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Doses must be delivered to all state-identified vaccination sites, such as local pharmacies, within three weeks, federal authorities said.
The Oschner Health System of 40 hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi expects to receive more than 9,000 doses in the coming days, said Dr. Sandra Kemmerly, medical director of hospital quality.
Employees approved for the first round receive text messages and emails telling them to schedule their initial injection, he said.
“I would say there is enthusiasm,” Kemmerly said Saturday. “There’s the idea that maybe they don’t have to be so scared to come to work if they can get vaccinated and be immune.”
Pfizer employees applaud after line workers finished packaging boxes containing Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be shipped to Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo’s manufacturing facility in Portage, Michigan on December 13. 2020 (AP Photo / Morry Gash, Pool).
The launch will ensure that there is enough vaccine to give people the two doses necessary for full protection against COVID-19. That means the government is withholding 3 million doses to give those vaccinated in the first round a second injection a few weeks later.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of the vaccine on Friday, saying it is highly protective and does not present major safety concerns. While US regulators worked for months to emphasize the rigor and independence of their review, they faced political pressure until the final stages.
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Concerns that an injection will be rushed could undermine vaccination efforts in a country with deep-seated skepticism about vaccines. The FDA chief said the agency’s decision was based on science, not politics, despite the White House’s threat to fire him if the vaccine is not approved by Saturday.
While the vaccine was determined to be safe, UK regulators are investigating several serious allergic reactions. FDA instructions tell suppliers not to provide it to people with a known history of serious allergic reactions to any of its ingredients.
Another Moderna vaccine will be reviewed by an expert panel next week and could be allowed for public use shortly thereafter.
