Moderna vaccine shipments should arrive in California this week

OAKLAND, Calif. - The United States now has two vaccines in the fight against COVID-19 and millions of doses of the Moderna vaccine will be distributed throughout the country on Monday. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom said California's first shipment should arrive early this week.

Trucks rolled out of a distribution center in Olive Branch, Mississippi early Sunday morning to deliver the vaccine to all 50 states.

The first were accompanied by police escort. 

Packages were also loaded onto aircraft. 

Moderna said it will deliver 20 million doses to the U.S. government by the end of the month.

Some unsung heroes are the truck drivers making the long haul to make sure the vaccines arrive at their destinations safely.

FedEx and UPS employees say they're honored to help deliver the potentially life-saving vaccine.

"My mother and father were both in the hospital with COVID," said Todd Elble, a UPS driver. "And my dad passed when I was asked to do this. I couldn't think of a better honor to do for my father."

Capt Mike Meyer, of UPS airlines, added: "We're excited to be able to be part of it, part of the solution to the pandemic. It gives people a glimmer of hope that we're racing toward the end of the pandemic as quickly as possible."

A Western states scientific safety review workgroup also gave the Moderna vaccine a green light – finding it’s safe and effective.

Newsom wrote in a statement, "while California is in some of the darkest days of our COVID-19 surge, with too many families grieving lost loved ones, there is light as more vaccines are approved for distribution."

California is set to receive 672,000 doses in the first round.

Priority will be given to nursing homes and frontline workers.

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