FAA supports first “mass air shipment” of Covid-19 vaccine

“As a result of the historic pace of vaccine development through Operation Warp Speed ​​and careful logistical planning, the FAA is now supporting the first mass air shipment of a vaccine,” the agency said in a statement Friday. .

The FAA said it had established a Covid-19 air transport team in October “to ensure safe, rapid and efficient transportation of vaccines.”

He said several vaccines needed to be transported on dry ice and was working with manufacturers, air carriers and airports to provide guidance on regulations for safely transporting large quantities of the hazardous substance in air cargo.

Pfizer’s Covid vaccine, for example, requires large amounts of dry ice to keep it at around negative 75 degrees Celsius.

“In addition to mitigating the safety risks associated with the safe transportation of vaccines, the FAA is providing 24-hour air traffic services to keep air cargo moving and prioritizing flights carrying cargo, such as vaccines, and personnel critical of the nation’s response to and recovery from Covid-19, ”the FAA statement on Friday read.

Advisors from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday called an emergency meeting for Tuesday to vote on who they recommend should be the first to get a coronavirus vaccine once authorized.

The CDC’s Immunization Practices Advisory Committee wants to seek advice from the public ahead of any US Food and Drug Administration decision on emergency vaccine clearance, ACIP chairman Dr. Dr. Jose Romero.

Pfizer has applied to the FDA for EUA for its vaccine, and biotech company Moderna is expected to do so soon.

CNN’s Maggie Fox contributed to this report.