This week Pfizer is doing a practice test of distributing a COVID-19 vaccine. The dry run is meant to identify distribution problems ahead of the expected approval of their vaccine in mid-December.
What’s happening: Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters on Tuesday that Pfizer is sending out practice shipments to four locations around the country: Texas, Rhode Island, New Mexico, and Tennessee.
Vials of a harmless saline solution are being transported using the company’s ultra-cold storage units, developed to keep the actual vaccine viable during shipment.
Vaccine approval: There are two vaccines up for consideration right now. One developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is being manufactured in Kalamazoo and is scheduled to be considered for approval by the Food and Drug Administration on December 10. Another is being developed by Moderna, which expects to apply for emergency use authorization in the coming days.
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