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The Federal Aviation Administration said it was supporting the “first mass air shipment” of Covid-19 vaccines on Friday, as pharmaceutical companies and airlines prepare networks for wide distribution.
United Airlines transported Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine from Brussels to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, according to people familiar with the matter.
Ahead of approvals, pharmaceutical companies, airlines and other parts of the supply chain are gearing up for distribution once regulators give the green light, a vast network that will include cold stores to keep vaccines. .
The Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve a Covid-19 vaccine. Pfizer, which developed its vaccine with BioNTech, and Moderna said recent trials show their vaccines are both more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 infection.
Pfizer did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Spokeswoman Kim Bencker previously said the company will not ship the vaccine until it obtains FDA approval for emergency use. Pfizer submitted its emergency clearance request on November 20, and the FDA is expected to discuss it publicly at the agency’s next meeting of the agency’s Vaccines and Related Biologics Advisory Committee on December 10. Moderna said she plans to submit her application on Monday.
Some Americans could receive their first dose of the vaccine in a few weeks if regulators approved either vaccine without delay.
Pfizer’s vaccine requires a storage temperature of minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit. By comparison, Moderna said its vaccine remained stable at 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of a standard home or medical refrigerator, for up to 30 days. It can be stored for up to six months at less than 4 degrees Fahrenheit.
The United flight, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, required special approval from federal regulators to carry more dry ice than is normally allowed, people said. Vaccines are stored at temperatures below freezing.
Last month, the FAA created a task force to deal with “the safe, rapid and efficient transport of vaccines.”
“Many vaccines require continuous cold temperatures during transport, which in some circumstances requires dry ice, a hazardous material,” the FAA said in a statement. “The FAA is working with manufacturers, air carriers and airport authorities to provide advice on the implementation of current regulatory requirements for the safe transport of large quantities of dry ice in air cargo.”
Pfizer’s vaccine will initially be very limited. He’s already been said to be able to make 50 million doses of his two-dose regimen by the end of the year – enough to immunize 25 million of the country’s roughly 331 million people. The company plans to ship frozen vials of the vaccine to vaccination points from its sites in Kalamazoo, Michigan and Puurs, Belgium.
Other airlines are also preparing for vaccine shipments.
American Airlines’ cargo department last week launched test flights with its pharmaceutical partners from Miami to South America “to test the thermal packaging and operational processing process we have created for the shipment. vaccine, “spokeswoman Stacy Day said in a statement.
One of the challenges is that air cargo capacity has been limited due to the pandemic. Since airlines have canceled so many flights, there is less space on the stomachs of planes to transport cargo. However, United and other airlines have started to operate dedicated cargo flights to help offset lost passenger revenue.
Airlines have used their vital role in transporting potentially life-saving vaccines as leverage to seek further federal help, while passenger traffic is only a fraction of last year’s levels.
“As the country looks to the future and meets the logistical challenges of vaccine distribution, it will be important to ensure that there are enough certified employees and aircraft in service required for a capacity. adequate to carry out the task, ”said Airlines for America, a trade group that represents America’s largest airlines, said Nov. 18 in a letter to congressional leaders.
Some federal agencies have already started sending vaccination plans to staff. Five agencies have started telling their employees they could receive the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna in as little as eight weeks, someone with knowledge of the plans told CNBC on November 20.
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