WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — The Federal Aviation Administration is supporting the first mass
air shipment of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The FAA said in a statement Friday its support stems from “the historic pace of vaccine development through Operation Warp Speed and careful logistics planning.”
The FAA said it established a COVID-19 air transport team in October “to ensure safe, expeditious, and efficient transportation of vaccines.”
The agency said several vaccines need to be transported in cold temperatures with dry ice, so it is working with manufacturers, air carriers, and airports to provide guidance on regulations to safely transport large quantities of dry ice in air cargo.
“In addition to mitigating safety risks related to the safe transport of vaccines, the FAA is ensuring around-the-clock air traffic services to keep air cargo moving and prioritizing flights carrying cargo, such as vaccines, and personnel critical to the nation’s response to and recovery from Covid-19,” FAA said in a statement.
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the first immunizations could be available on Dec. 12.