Pfizer US Plant Exports First Batch Of Covid-19 Vaccines To Mexico

Mexico will start receiving the first export shipments of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines this week as part of the ongoing efforts of the United States to supply the much needed vaccines. The shipment marks the first batch of supplies that has been delivered outside of the US.

The vaccines were produced at Pfizer’s Kalamazoo, Michigan plant as the United States’ answer to mounting pressure in providing surplus vaccines to other nations when it has already made swift progress in inoculating American citizens. This comes conveniently after an imposed restriction on dose exports during Trump’s administration that expired at the end of March.

While other countries are struggling to acquire vaccines, wealthy governments are said to be stocking up on Pfizer and Moderna vaccines brought on by health safety concerns as well as production issues that sidelined the supplies from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

According to Mexico’s health ministry, they will be receiving 2 million Pfizer doses this week, Reuters reported.

Pfizer and BionNTech SE main European plant in Belgium has also sent over more than a million doses last Wednesday with another million expected to arrive this week. So far, it has shipped more than 10 million doses to Mexico, making the drugmaker as Mexico’s largest supplier of Covid-19 vaccines.

The US plant will be used to continue production for exports abroad while ensuring supplies for US residents. The company expects to be pumping out 25 million vaccines each week by mid-year, which will surpass its commitment to deliver 300 million doses to the US by the end of July. As it is, Pfizer is committed to produce up to 2.5 billion vaccine doses in 2021, and has agreed with governments worldwide to supply more than a billion shots.

As the US vaccination campaign continues on a successful roll -- being the quickest and most efficient, this has seen vaccine administration of more than 140 million to its residents.

White House officials said they are ready to export up to 60 million doses of US manufactured AstraZeneca vaccines to countries in dire need. Along with this, raw materials for Covid-19 vaccines as well as medical equipment and protective gear will be shipped to India to help ease the pressure on its health system which is on the brink of collapse.