Portage Facility Helping The World With COVID-19 Vaccine

It is pretty wild to know that the people who work at the Pfizer facility in Portage, Michigan, are helping in getting the COVID-19 vaccine out to the world.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is produced in Portage and then distributed around the United States and around the world.

Vaccines have already been shipped out as of Sunday morning.

According to FOX 17, Portage mayor Patricia Randall said, "it's very exciting, it's long anticipated, it is definitely hope for all of humanity."

Randall went on to say,

It isn't just the employees of Pfizer that we're proud of. We're proud of the teachers that are teaching the Pfizer children, we are proud of the restaurants that are having to go meals. We are grateful to the families that have family members working at Pfizer over the holiday season.

It isn’t just the employees of Pfizer that we’re proud of. We’re proud of the teachers that are teaching the Pfizer children. We are proud of the restaurants that are having to go meals. We are grateful to the families that have family members working at Pfizer over the holiday season.

When you think of it, that is pretty amazing that a town the size of Portage, Michigan, that can seem small to some eyes around the world, can at the same time superhero like in this time of the pandemic in their effort to make and produce the vaccine.

This is a massive coordinated effort with Pfizer and it's distribution teams to get these vaccines out safely while at the same time properly storing the finished product that is awaiting shipment.

The Gerald R. Ford Airport in Grand Rapids is already a hub for FedEx and UPS so it makes perfect sense to directly ship from since those two companies are the ones tasked with shipping of the vaccine.

FOX 17 spoke with the Director of Commercial Development Steven Clark who said,

It's personal for us. This is an opportunity for our airline partners, their staff, to be a hero for the globe for all citizens and to be a part of that line of heroes of doctors and nurses and scientists and all of those people that we've been celebrating.

Healthcare workers with direct COVID-19 patient care along with the elderly in convalescent homes will be the first to receive the vaccine. It will be much longer before Joe Public will actually receive the vaccine.

There is a lot of work ahead for all involved so Michiganders need to keep wearing their mask, practice socially distancing, keep those hands washed and stay out of large gatherings for the foreseeable future until everyone is vaccinated and determined safe to gather again.

Again a big thank you to all in Portage, the Pfizer corporation, the airport, the shipping departments, the doctors and nurses for all doing what you do.