The first shipments of Moderna’s COVID-19 shot began leaving warehouses early Sunday — widening the vaccination effort to end the pandemic in the US.
McKesson Corp, which is distributing the vaccine, said in a statement around 6 a.m. that they had kicked off the rollout of COVID-19 shots and ancillary supply kits.
Shipments of the vaccine arrived at the distribution centers Saturday to be packed into containers and loaded on trucks after the Food and Drug Administration granted the drug emergency use authorization.
The vaccine is expected to be rolled out to more than 3,700 locations across that nation.
The US government has said that it plans to distribute 5.9 million Moderna shots this week on top of 2 million from Pfizer, which was the first vaccine approved in the US.
US Army General Gustave Perna told reporters that the first boxes from Moderna are expected to arrive at healthcare providers on Monday.
Some states have chosen Moderna’s vaccine for more difficult-to-reach rural areas since they can be stored for 30 days in standard-temperature refrigerators — unlike Pfizer’s which must be shipped at -94 degrees Fahrenheit and can be held for only five days at standard refrigerator temperatures.
With Post wires
