Community Chat

[songbird]

Photo of the first trucks with the vaccine arriving in Michigan distribution center.  Tomorrow, trucks will start arriving in all 50 states.  (in Kalamazoo)

[bluetail fly]

I watched that on the news this morning and was quite moved.

[Biftu]

I didn't' expect to get so emotional seeing the trucks roll out on the news this morning.

[roxxy1]

My son who works for Pfizer, is one of the  employees coordinating the distribution of the vaccine.  My hero......   

[gidgetgh]

I got very emotional watching the news coverage this morning of the trucks.

My niece participated in the Pfizer vaccine trial (she doesn't know yet if she got actual vaccine or placebo) and I couldn't be more proud.  

People working so hard to save our country.  It makes me emotional. 

[FrostyBabe1]

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@songbird wrote:

Photo of the first trucks with the vaccine arriving in Michigan distribution center.  Tomorrow, trucks will start arriving in all 50 states.  (in Kalamazoo)

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They were leaving the Pfizer manufacturing plant in Portage (not Kalamazoo), not arriving. They were escorted by federal marshalls. The first FedEx flight carrying the vaccine departed GRR about an hour ago. 

I live close to the complex and worked for Upjohn/Pharmacia & Upjohn/Pharmacia/Pfizer for most of my career.. I've driven by several times in the past few days. The media circus was unreal. 

[MorningLover]

Operation Warp Speed has been a total success. American ingenuity rose to the occasion and now we’re looking to distribute covid vaccines in a matter of weeks. Thank's to all researchers, scientists, and medical professionals who worked nonstop this past year.

Before Operation Warp Speed, the typical timeline for vaccine development and approval lasted years.

[SilleeMee]

I heard on the news that FedEX will be transporting the vaccine to the western half of the US while UPS will deliver to the eastern half.

[grandma petes]

Wow....I got more emotional than I was prepared for...the fate of humanity is in those trucks....I pray this is the light at the end of the tunnel.🙏🏻

[MorningLover]

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@FrostyBabe1 wrote:

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@MorningLover wrote:

Operation Warp Speed has been a total success. American ingenuity rose to the occasion and now we’re looking to distribute covid vaccines in a matter of weeks. Thank's to all researchers, scientists, and medical professionals who worked nonstop this past year.

Before Operation Warp Speed, the typical timeline for vaccine development and approval lasted years.

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Pfizer did not accept any funding from Operation Warp Speed for the development of the vaccine. They have been very clear about this and it's been well publicized. They agreed to sell 100 million doses to the government for $1.95 billion, but they did not receive any money towards R&D or manufacturing. 

Here's just one article regarding it:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/health/was-the-pfizer-vaccine-part-of-the-governments-operation-w... 

Having spent the bulk of my career working in pharma, I guarantee that the Pfizer is much more efficient at distribution than the feds could ever be. 

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I don't read NYT but did see this..

https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/explaining-operation-warp-speed/index.html 

July 22: HHS announced up to $1.95 billion in funds to Pfizer for the large-scale manufacturing and nationwide distribution of 100 million doses of their vaccine candidate. The federal government will own the 100 million doses of vaccine initially produced as a result of this agreement, and Pfizer will deliver the doses in the United States if the product successfully receives FDA EUA or licensure, as outlined in FDA guidance, after completing demonstration of safety and efficacy in a large Phase 3 clinical trial, which began July 27th.

Yes....

The federal government’s deal with Pfizer would pay for the purchase of the company’s vaccine if it gets FDA emergency use authorization or approval. So Pfizer hasn’t gotten any Warp Speed funding yet. With Moderna and other companies, by contrast, the government is helping to fund the vaccines’ development and various efforts to scale up manufacturing.

Historically, vaccine development, testing and approval take years, in part because of tight resources. The goal of Operation Warp Speed is to break down hurdles and produce and deliver 300 million doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines by January 2021 — about a year after the novel coronavirus emerged in China. Beyond vaccines, Operation Warp Speed also oversees the accelerated development, manufacturing and distribution of therapeutics and diagnostics for COVID-19.

Operation Warp Speed, launched in May, is a partnership among agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services and the Defense Department. HHS is leading vaccine development efforts while the Defense Department is helping guide distribution.