Trucks carrying Johnson & Johnson’s newly authorized Covid-19 vaccine began shipping on Monday en route to states and locations seeking more doses to increase vaccinations.
McKesson Corp., which acts as a centralized distributor of J&J vaccines, is working with FedEx and UPS to ship doses across the country. The shipments are expected to arrive at states and vaccination sites as early as Tuesday, the Biden government said.
A spokeswoman for FedEx Corp. said collections began at McKesson’s facilities in Olive Branch, Mississippi. The shipping company is using its distribution center in Memphis, Tennessee, to deliver doses across the country.
UPS trucks picked up the J&J vaccine at a McKesson facility in Shepherdsville, Ky., On Monday, and took them to a UPS center in Louisville, Ky., Said a spokesman for United Parcel Service Inc. The doses will then be sent to UPS facilities across the country for delivery by vehicle on Tuesday morning.
The US Food and Drug Administration on Saturday authorized the use of the J&J vaccine. The pharmaceutical company had made nearly four million doses for the initial shipment. The government said it expects about 20 million doses to be delivered by the end of March.