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Nearly 3 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to be shipped across U.S. this weekend

They were packed into boxes Saturday, and will head out Sunday.

HOUSTON, Texas — Nearly three million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is getting ready to be shipped across the country. They were packed into boxes Saturday, and will head out Sunday.

“Within the next 24 hours, they will begin moving vaccine from the Pfizer manufacturing facility to the UPS and FedEx hubs," U.S. Army Gen. Gus Perna said.

Perna with "Operation Warp Speed" is calling Saturday 'D-day,' the day the mission begins.

He said shipment distributions will start Monday at 145 of the 636 locations chosen to receive the first round of Pfizer’s vaccine. 

“Another 425 sites on Tuesday and the final 66 sites on Wednesday," Perna said.

RELATED: First COVID-19 vaccine doses to arrive in Houston area as soon as Monday

In Texas, 224,250 doses will go to 109 hospitals in 34 counties; 21 of them in Harris County.

Being one of those hospitals, Houston Methodist will get 13,600 doses, vaccinating up to 2,000 front-line employees a day, 11,000 in the first week, as well as other Houston health care workers.

“We will not only be vaccinating our employees, but we are working with city authorities, EMS, home health and other agencies to begin their immunization process as well," Houston Methodist Executive Vice-President Dr. Roberta Schwartz said. 

Right now, only front-line workers can get the vaccine, but Houston Methodist hopes to be able to vaccinate high-risk patients by early January. 

“We very much look forward to being able to vaccinate the public, just not yet. We are asking everyone to be patient and bear with us as we go through this process," Schwartz said. 

And everyone else could get it by early Spring.

“Come Springtime, we should be in a much better situation. Stick with it, 90 more days. Vaccine is coming, but please continue doing what you’re doing," Dr. Esmaeil Porsa with Harris Health System said. 

 

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