Millions of US-designated vaccines sitting in warehouses

[Mik]

As Jolly says, some folks'd complain if you hung 'em with a new rope.

[kluurs]

I can understand a problem with FedEx, UPS and USPS, but the government also have a military capable of moving things to major and some minor locations and National Guard troops to move things locally. IF this is really an issue, that would seem a solution.

[jon-nyc]

@kluurs

Pfizer says they’ve received no shipping instructions. Can’t even call FedEx if you don’t have that.

[kluurs]

Assuming that is true, one can't give shipping instructions unless one has a shipper able to pick-up an deliver within a given timetable.

[taiwan_girl]

As others have said, this is a massive shipping assignment in the middle of the busiest shipping time of year. It is not a surprise that there are some mistakes.

Find them, and fix the mistakes but does not really sound like a big situation.

[Axtremus]

Yeah, but if you believe Pfizer, they problem is not "lack of shipping capacity", but lack of shipping instructions, as in the government does not inform Pfizer where to ship. You cannot utilize shipping capacity if you do not know where to ship.

[jon-nyc]

@kluurs said in Millions of US-designated vaccines sitting in warehouses:

Assuming that is true, one can't give shipping instructions unless one has a shipper able to pick-up an deliver within a given timetable.

That seems obviously false? Why would that impede the government from sending a text file to Pfizer?

[Jolly]

@jon-nyc said in Millions of US-designated vaccines sitting in warehouses:

@kluurs said in Millions of US-designated vaccines sitting in warehouses:

Assuming that is true, one can't give shipping instructions unless one has a shipper able to pick-up an deliver within a given timetable.

That seems obviously false? Why would that impede the government from sending a text file to Pfizer?

What would impede the CEO of Pfizer putting in a call to the White House?

[jon-nyc]

@jolly

What would impede Azar from calling Pfizer before blaming them for production shortages on national television?

[Rich]

I wonder if it’s at partly due to making sure the cold storage and handling equipment is also in place.

Pfizer and the administration don’t exactly seem like each other...so they’re both probably happy to find ways to take pot shots at each other....while (hopefully) still ultimately getting the vaccine distributed quickly.

[Loki]

@rich said in Millions of US-designated vaccines sitting in warehouses:

I wonder if it’s at partly due to making sure the cold storage and handling equipment is also in place.

Pfizer and the administration don’t exactly seem like each other...so they’re both probably happy to find ways to take pot shots at each other....while (hopefully) still ultimately getting the vaccine distributed quickly.

This.

[jon-nyc]

Head of Operation Warp Speed takes responsibility but still a lot of questions as to what steps they’re requiring between manufacturing and shipment. Looks like they’ve built in a minimum 48hr delay for the feds to inspect paperwork for each lot? Like I said it’s still unclear. But hopefully they can rationalize that.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/12/19/vaccine-states-operation-warp-speed/

[jon-nyc]

I agree with Jay. Very refreshing.