UPS and FedEx said they would also put their own tracking tags on vaccine shipments. And Mr. Wheeler told the Senators that every UPS truck that carries the cans will have a device that tracks its location, temperature, exposure and movement. The company’s trucks will also have escorts, he said. It’s not clear if he was referring to the local police or other government officials, or possibly private guards, and the company declined to disclose.
The vaccine delivery kits were put together by McKesson, a medical supplier that has been asked by federal agencies to act as the central distributor of the vaccines and supplies such as syringes and alcohol wipes. Unlike Pfizer, Moderna, whose vaccine could soon be approved, plans to have McKesson package its vaccines alongside supplies, Smith said.
In the case of Pfizer, UPS plans to ship the kits – from a McKesson location in Kentucky – before the vaccine so that errors can be identified with addresses in its system, Wheeler said. The kits include a syringe, a substance used to dilute the vaccines, personal protective equipment, instructions and mixing vials, he said.
Shippers have spent months upgrading the cold store infrastructure for the Pfizer vaccine, which must be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit. UPS, for example, has installed ultra-low temperature freezers capable of keeping goods as low as minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit near their air freight centers in the US and Europe. Its Louisville hub also plans to produce more than 24,000 pounds of dry ice a day. FedEx has also added ultra-cold freezers to its US network.
The airlines have also prepared to ship the vaccines, working with aircraft manufacturers and the Federal Aviation Administration to safely move more dry ice than is normally allowed. UPS also sends the agency a daily file of their flights so it can prioritize others, Wheeler said. The company is in daily contact with officials involved in Operation Warp Speed, the federal effort to accelerate vaccine development.
