Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Doses Of Pfizer's Vaccine Arrive In US By Chartered Flights
Wall Street Journal: United Begins Flying Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine
United Airlines Holdings Inc. on Friday began operating charter flights to position doses of Pfizer Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine for quick distribution if the shots are approved by regulators, according to people familiar with the matter. The initial flights are one link in a global supply chain being assembled to tackle the logistical challenge of distributing Covid-19 vaccines. Pfizer has been laying the groundwork to move quickly if it gets approval from the Food and Drug Administration and other regulators world-wide. (Sider and Loftus, 11/27)
USA Today: FAA Confirms First 'Mass Air Shipment' Of Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine From Belgium As US Preps For Distribution
Charter flights bringing Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to the United States from Belgium began on Friday, the start of what the Federal Aviation Administration calls the first "mass air shipment" of a coronavirus vaccine. There are no authorized coronavirus vaccines in the U.S. yet, but preparations for distribution are ramping up. Under FDA rules, vaccine cannot be shipped to actual administration sites until it was been either licensed or authorized by FDA. (Weise and Aspegren, 11/29)
In related developments on vaccine distribution —
Bloomberg: Covid Task Force Promises Rapid December Vaccine Rollout
Members of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force fanned out across Sunday talk shows to promise a rapid rollout of coronavirus vaccines to millions of Americans by year-end. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said the federal government hopes to quickly review and approve requests from two drugmakers for emergency approval of their Covid-19 vaccines. (Condon and Yang, 11/29)
Houston Chronicle: State Officials Ready To Distribute Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine ‘In The Coming Days,’ Abbott Says
State officials were prepared to distribute doses of drugmaker Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine “in the coming days,” Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday. Abbott tweeted a link to a Wall Street Journal article that reported United Airlines had started operating charter flights to position doses of the vaccine for rapid distribution if approved by federal and global regulators and wrote, “Texas is ready to distribute these vaccines in the coming days.” (Serrano, 11/28)
