US Begins Distribution of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine... First Inoculations on the 21st

Less Stringent Distribution Than Pfizer Vaccine
US Vaccine Developer Confident in Effectiveness Against COVID-19 Variants

FedEx trucks are being prepared to transport Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines across the United States.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The distribution of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine developed by Moderna has begun in the United States. Vaccinations with the Moderna vaccine are expected to start from the 21st. This means two types of vaccines will begin administration consecutively within a week.

According to US media including CNN, on the morning of the 20th (local time), trucks carrying Moderna's vaccine departed from the distribution facility of McKesson, a pharmaceutical distributor located in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

Moderna's vaccine received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the 18th, enabling nationwide delivery. The US government will distribute 5.9 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to over 3,700 locations including states, territories, and major cities across the country.

The Moderna vaccine is required to be transported under the escort of security personnel such as agents from the US Marshals Service (USMS) under the Department of Justice, while stored in refrigerators equipped with locks.

Shipping company FedEx, similar to the Pfizer vaccine, attaches a Bluetooth sensor device called 'SenseAware ID' to quickly and safely deliver the temperature-sensitive vaccine. Since Moderna's vaccine only needs to be maintained at minus 20 degrees Celsius, its distribution is less demanding compared to Pfizer's vaccine, which requires minus 75 degrees Celsius.

General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Operation Warp Speed team, also stated that Moderna vaccines will begin arriving nationwide on Monday, the 21st.

Moncef Slaoui, Chief Advisor of Operation Warp Speed, said that the first Moderna vaccinations are highly likely to take place on the morning of Monday, the 21st.

Slaoui said, "It (the Moderna vaccine) will be somewhat easier to ship because it does not require as low a temperature as the Pfizer vaccine."

Slaoui also estimated that it is very unlikely that the currently approved vaccines will be ineffective against the variant coronavirus reported in the UK.

Slaoui said, "I do not think there has been a single variant resistant to the vaccines so far," adding, "We cannot rule it out, but as of now, none exist."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.