Shippers ready to meet faster vaccine timeline

FedEx and UPS say their shipping networks are prepared to handle a faster-than-expected rollout of vaccines in the U.S.

Why it matters: President Biden's new accelerated timeline to provide enough doses for 300 million Americans to be vaccinated by the end of May — two months earlier than expected — depends not just on ramped-up production, but also on the ability of shipping giants to deliver more doses into communities.

The big picture: Both companies are highly experienced with healthcare distribution and have been preparing for their role in the vaccine rollout, both in the U.S. and globally, for nearly a year.

UPS, for example, has already delivered vaccines to more than 33 countries, and recently launched new partnerships with nonprofits to help facilitate equitable global delivery.