UPS workers unload shipments of the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 (12-20-20)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Todd Elble's father, Paul, died of COVID-19 at age 78 in November. 

On Sunday, the 37-year veteran of UPS made what he said was the most important delivery of his life: a shipment of the country's second approved coronavirus vaccine. 

"When I was asked to do this, I couldn't think of a better honor to do for my father than to do this today," Elble said. "... I felt dad was in the truck with me today." 

Todd Elble, UPS driver who delivered one of the first Moderna shipments

Todd Elble, a 37-year veteran of UPS, stands in front of a semitruck after delivering one of the first shipments of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine to UPS Worldport in Louisville, Ky., on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. 

Elble and fellow driver Cleveland Francis, a 53-year UPS veteran, drove semitrucks carrying hundreds of boxes of a vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. into UPS Worldport on Sunday morning. Officials with UPS could not provide an exact number of doses that were delivered to Louisville but said it's possible a third truck carrying vaccines will arrive later in the day. 

Of the first shipment of vaccines to arrive at Worldport, there will be one delivery to a location in Louisville, according to UPS. In a statement Sunday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the Moderna vaccine will be administered by "Monday or Tuesday at the latest."

The rest of the shipment will be prepared for delivery to cities around the country. 

Beshear on Thursday said the state should receive an initial shipment of 76,700 doses of Moderna's vaccine and another 33,800 doses between Dec. 27-31. Many of the doses will go to the state's acute care hospitals, according to the governor. 

In Indiana, nursing homes will be the first to get Moderna's vaccine.

After the first semi arrived at Worldport with an escort from Kentucky State Police, two package handlers, Jesirae Elzey and Demeatres Ralston, unloaded the truck box by box. Each box is temperature controlled at negative 20 degrees Celsius and has a tracker inside that will be monitored by UPS' Health Care Command Center. 

"I've seen billions of packages every day, (and) we don't see things like this," said Ralston, who started working at UPS in 1994. "To be a part of this, to help in any way we can, is a privilege." 

UPS plans to handle daily vaccine shipments from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech in addition to the more than 4 million packages a day that are moving through Worldport during the peak holiday season. Jim Mayer, a UPS spokesman, said the company has been in communication with Operation Warp Speed for months and prepared in advance for handling the additional volume. 

Mayer said there are no differences in precautions or handling techniques between the two vaccines because they are both stored on temperature-controlled boxes. Pfizer's vaccine must be stored at negative 70 degrees Celsius, which calls for dry ice to be used during the delivery process. 

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the vaccine for emergency use. Moderna has nearly 6 million doses that are ready to start shipping.

Kentucky began vaccinating for COVID-19 on Dec. 14, the day after a Boeing 757 carrying the first shipment of Pfizer's vaccine landed at UPS Worldport. 

Officials with Operation Warp Speed said 20 million doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will be delivered around the country by the end of December.

Both the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer shot require two doses several weeks apart. The second dose must be from the same company as the first. 

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