UPS partners with McKesson to deliver Moderna vaccine

FDA approval signals start of second COVID-19 vaccine deliveries.
UPS partners with McKesson to deliver Moderna vaccine UPS partners with McKesson to deliver Moderna vaccine UPS partners with McKesson to deliver Moderna vaccine

As expected, Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine became the second in the U.S. to gain emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Friday.

In partnership with McKesson, a global pharmaceutical and medical supply distributor, UPS will begin delivering Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as Monday.

McKesson holds an expanded partnership with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to support Operation Warp Speed, and it is the centralized distributor for COVID-19 vaccines and ancillary supply kits.

“This is a critically important initiative for UPS, and we are committed to delivering what matters for as long as it takes,” said UPS CEO Carol B. Tomé. “McKesson is a valuable UPS Healthcare partner, and we will continue to leverage the strength of our network to safely and efficiently get vaccines and supplies to their destination.”

UPS ready for both peak holiday season and vaccine deliveries

Entering the final days of December, UPSers continue to deliver industry-leading on-time performance. Planning and preparation have produced a reliable network and successful peak holiday season.

Vaccines will continue to receive special attention, enhanced by UPS technology like RFID tags to help monitor shipment integrity and provide network visibility.

“We know at the end of each vaccine journey is a patient seeking hope and relief from this pandemic. We don’t take our pivotal role in this ongoing campaign lightly,” said Wes Wheeler, President of UPS Healthcare. “This is a historic logistics feat and UPS Healthcare would be honored to play a role for the long haul.”

Vaccine deliveries are latest example of UPS efforts to combat COVID-19

Since the pandemic began, UPS has supported FEMA and Project Air Bridge by moving over 24 million pounds of PPE and opening facilities for use by the National Stockpile program. UPS also helped 32 states with millions of diagnostic test kits and biologic samples for COVID-19. These learnings have proven vital in developing delivery plans for emerging vaccines.

“This is a critically important initiative for UPS, and we are committed to delivering what matters for as long as it takes,” said UPS CEO Carol B. Tomé. “McKesson is a valuable UPS Healthcare partner, and we will continue to leverage the strength of our network to safely and efficiently get vaccines and supplies to their destination.”

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