COVID 19 vaccine status: Chicago-based United Airlines began shipping coronavirus vaccine, source says

CHICAGO (WLS) – Chicago-based United Airlines has started shipping the first batches of the COVID-19 vaccine on charter flights, a source told ABC News.

The source is aware of the operation, according to ABC.

The Federal Aviation Administration had already given its approval for the first mass aerial shipment of a COVID-19 vaccine.

RELATED: Chicago Should Play Central Role in Transporting and Distributing COVID-19 Vaccine

This means that thousands of doses of the coronavirus vaccine may already be in Chicago, ready for deployment. But even though United Airlines has confirmed it has already started shipping Pfizer’s first COVID-19 vaccination batches, it may still be a few weeks before the FDA grants emergency use clearance. drug (EUA).

“From a federal perspective, we have promised a quick review of the USA and [will] hope to start sending vaccines within 24 to 48 hours, ”US surgeon general Jerome Adams told FOX News.

The FAA said it set up a transport team in October to “ensure safe, rapid and efficient transport of vaccines.”

The agency said it is also providing 24-hour air traffic services to prioritize flights carrying vaccines and personnel.

In the United States, United and DHL are among the companies that have teamed up to distribute a vaccine once approved for use.

DHL will also be involved in transporting and storing the vaccine to various locations, a spokesperson said on Saturday. The delivery service would not disclose exactly where the COVID-19 vaccine will be stored.

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“At the same time, our DHL Global Forwarding division has a major certified life sciences and healthcare facility in Chicago O’Hare, which will play an important role in our vaccine logistics support activities.” , said the spokesperson.

A United spokesperson said on Friday: “United Cargo set up a COVID Preparedness Task Force earlier this summer to help us ensure we have the right people, products, services and partnerships in place to support a vaccine delivery effort across the country. global scale. We are committed to our pharmaceutical and medical customers that we are ready to safely and efficiently meet their vaccine transport needs. The safety and security of these products is our priority and we are proud to be a trusted partner in these efforts. “

A meeting to discuss Pfizer’s application is currently scheduled for December 10.

Moderna, which is conducting a trial at UIC, is also expected to request an EUA within days.

“Any day now. It’ll probably happen immediately after the holiday weekend, I guess,” said Rick Novak of UI Health. “I know they hit all of their goals because we’re in a wave we’re getting cases. I mean, throughout this weekend I’ve had cases of people with symptomatic illness in our study population. “

On the south and west sides of the city, a vaccine cannot arrive soon enough, with black and brown communities hit hardest by the pandemic.

A free post-Thanksgiving test event was offered to uninsured people in North Lawndale on Sunday. However, community leaders recognize that there is a lot of work to be done to overcome the lack of confidence if people in these areas want to be vaccinated.

“There is no doubt that blacks and maroons do not trust the system,” said La Shawn Ford, IL state representative. “It is a system that we are going to have to deal with when it comes to the distribution and distribution of the vaccine.”

Once approval is given and distribution begins, Illinois is set to receive approximately 400,000 doses of the vaccine, with up to 40 million expected to be shipped nationwide by the end of the year.