‘We are ready’: US begins Moderna COVID vaccine roll-out

Millions of doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed to more than 3,700 locations across the United States starting on Sunday, the head of the country’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, said, urging Americans to continue to follow public health guidelines.

In a news conference on Saturday morning, Operation Warp Speed CEO Gustave Perna said Moderna has moved vaccines from its manufacturing sites to distribution locations.

“America, we are ready to distribute that vaccine,” Perna told reporters. “Boxes are being packed and loaded today – trucks will begin rolling out tomorrow.”

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) late on Friday authorised the Moderna vaccine for emergency use across the country – the second COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in the US after Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine was approved last week.

US officials have said they intend to distribute 5.9 million Moderna doses in the initial shipment, which will first be administered to healthcare workers and residents of long-term care homes across the country.

Perna said he expects to distribute 7.9 million doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines in the coming week.

“[The] Moderna vaccine can be shipped and stored at standard freezer temperatures and is packed in containers of 100 doses each,” he said, adding that this gives US states greater “flexibility to support hard-to-reach, small and more rural areas”.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be kept at ultralow temperatures, which means states and cities must have the necessary infrastructure to store it.

Confusion, frustration

US media outlets reported this week that several states, including Michigan, Oregon and Illinois, said they were informed by the federal government that they would be receiving fewer Pfizer-BioNTech doses than expected next week.

That created confusion and frustration, as state governments hoping the vaccines will help them get the surging pandemic under control said they would be forced to adjust their inoculation plans.

Washington state Governor Jay Inslee said on Thursday afternoon that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had informed him that vaccine allocation would be cut by 40 percent next week. “This is disruptive and frustrating,” he tweeted.

.@CDCgov has informed us that WA’s vaccine allocation will be cut by 40 percent next week — and that all states are seeing similar cuts.

This is disruptive and frustrating. We need accurate, predictable numbers to plan and ensure on-the-ground success.

No explanation was given.

— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) December 17, 2020

Pfizer said in a statement on Thursday that it had successfully shipped 2.9 million doses ordered by the US government and that it was not having production issues. No vaccine shipment orders were on hold or delayed, the company added.

“We have millions more doses sitting in our warehouse but, as of now, we have not received any shipment instructions for additional doses,” it said.

Perna on Saturday said he took personal responsibility for the confusion, saying it was a “planning error” and that was forced to change the forecasted allocation numbers to meet the actual amount of releasable vaccine doses available.

“It was my fault. I gave guidance. I was the one that approved the forecast sheets. I am the one that approved the allocations,” he said.

“There is no problem with the process. There is no problem with the Pfizer vaccine. There is no problem with the Moderna vaccine. It was a planning error and I am responsible.”

Building vaccine confidence

While the vaccine roll-out in the US has been widely welcomed, it will take time before most Americans are vaccinated – and public health experts are urging people to continue to follow public health directives and exercise caution.

Since the pandemic began, officials in some parts of the country have resisted putting lockdown measures in place, while in others, some residents have refused to abide by social distancing and mask-wearing mandates.

The US has seen record-setting COVID-19 case numbers and staggering hospitalisation rates in recent weeks.

It has recorded more than 17.5 million infections and over 314,000 deaths linked to the novel coronavirus since the crisis began, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally – the highest totals in the world.

Top US officials are now trying to build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines, as well, amid reluctance and fears in some communities. Vice President Mike Pence publicly received a shot on Friday, and US President-elect Joe Biden is expected to be vaccinated on Monday.