First doses of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shipped to US from Belgium: report

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First doses of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shipped to US from Belgium: report

The first doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine candidate were airlifted to the United States from Belgium, a source familiar with planning from United Airlines’ COVID vaccine readiness task force confirmed to NBC on Saturday.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that United had started chartering flights to send doses of the vaccine to the United States. In a statement to The Hill on Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also confirmed that it “supports the first mass aerial shipment of a vaccine.”

A source told the network that the FAA allowed United to carry 15,000 pounds of dry ice per flight, five times the allowable limit.

Pfizer vaccine should be stored at sub-zero temperatures to maintain assay effectiveness.

United did not confirm details of the flight to The Hill, but said it would “support a worldwide vaccine distribution effort,” noting that its shipment is through the United Cargo division of the airline company.

Pfizer’s vaccine candidate is being developed in partnership with German biotech company BioNTech, and last week Pfizer applied for emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vaccine will be distributed once approved.

According to a Financial Times report on Saturday, the UK is expected to approve Pfizer’s vaccine as early as next week.