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With media cameras watching -- and at least one livestream -- the first trucks carrying Pfizer's conditionally approved Covid-19 vaccine rolled out of that pharmaceutical company's facility in Portage, Mich., near Kalamazoo, early this morning. 


Even a brand-new vaccine offers hope in a pandemic (Photo: Pixnio)

The Free Press was there: 

By early Sunday morning, Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine had leapt all regulatory hurdles except one, the blessing of Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If he signs off, Pfizer has said it will deliver 6.4 million doses around the country in this initial shipment. Michigan's share of that first delivery is 84,825 doses — or 87 packages that each contain 975 doses.

Trucks from FedEx, UPS and other carriers backed up to the loading docks and received their cargo, which will be distributed around the country. Because the vaccine, co-manufactured with Pfizer's German partner, BioNTech, must be kept at very low temperatures, the trucks needed to carry ultra-cold freezers on board. 

Some non-media observers were there as well, one of whom told the Freep he at 4:30 a.m. to "see history in the making." 

Read more: Detroit Free Press