Millions of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines set to start shipping Sunday

NORWOOD, Mass. — We’re in for another busy week of COVID-19 vaccine deliveries.

Cambridge-based Moderna is preparing to ship 5.9 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to all 50 states starting Sunday.

The first shipments of doses will start arriving at hospitals Monday and will continue throughout the week.

“While this second vaccine from Moderna added on to Pfizer now allows a whole of America to be on the offense, we are a long way from being finished,” said Army General Gustave Perna, the Chief Operating Officer of Operation Warp Speed.

In a press conference Saturday, Perna explained how McKesson Medical-Surgical will help ship the vaccines.

“At McKesson distribution centers, boxes are being packed and loaded today [Saturday], trucks will begin rolling out tomorrow [Sunday] from FedEx and UPS, delivering vaccines,” said Perna.

There is still one hurdle the vaccine must pass before people can start taking it.

Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization and Practices voted to recommend Moderna’s vaccine for people 18 years and older, following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision Friday to authorize the vaccine for emergency use.

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield must accept the advisory committee’s recommendation before the vaccine can be administered.

In Saturday’s press conference, General Perna took responsibility for miscommunication with states over how many doses of Pfizer’s vaccine they would initially receive.

Massachusetts was first told it would get more than 59,000 doses, but then learned it would actually receive fewer than 43,000 doses.

“We have already learned a lot of lessons from last week and the initial rollout,” said Perna. “We will continue to apply those lessons as we move forward.”

Cox Media Group