Vaccine deliveries just as big in small towns

COVID-19 vaccine important to rural communities in the heart of Texas
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Kyle Hughes is responsible for a lot.

He manages three UPS package delivery facilities in west central Texas (Alpine, Brownwood and San Angelo) and there’s a lot of ground to cover – roughly 20,000 square miles.

On top of all the normal responsibilities of running an area like this, the COVID-19 virus became just as much an issue for these sparsely-populated communities as in the crowded neighborhoods of New York City.

And UPS became just as big a part of the solution.

That’s why the first shipment of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine was something akin to a celebrity rolling into town.

“When we found out we were getting the first vaccine shipment, it was a really big deal,” Kyle said. “For UPS to get the nod to deliver them was huge.”

Great care was taken to explain the associated technology supporting each shipment, from the packaging itself to the sensor technology, gave critical package visibility to everyone in the pandemic battle. When the day arrived, the team was ready.

“We talked about the importance of the vaccine to humanity,” Kyle said. “We showed everyone what the packages looked like, and we monitored their progress from the word ‘go.’”

Drivers snapped photos. A celebrity really had come to town.

Delivery driver Joslyn Monsivais completed the first vaccine delivery to a local pharmacy.

“It was an honor to be selected,” Joslyn said. “I was so excited I called my mom to tell her I was making the vaccine delivery as soon as I found out.”

From a small town pharmacy to rural hospitals and county medical centers across the open plains of Texas, UPSers like Joslyn took – and still take – the responsibility of moving our world forward by delivering what matters seriously.

“I’m humbled to be just a small part of something so important to our world.”