First vaccines exported to the United Kingdom
Millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine produced in Belgium have already been given to British people.
In the eyes of the world, the Puurs site (Antwerp Province) of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer has become one of the main bridgeheads for the production of coronavirus vaccines.
Orders are pouring in and deliveries have started to the first Western European country to launch its vaccination campaign: the United Kingdom.
Just under one million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have already been shipped across the Channel. And this is just the beginning, as a total of five million doses are expected in the UK by the end of December. The British government has ordered a total of no fewer than 40 million doses as it launches the biggest vaccination campaign in the country's history.
This is a huge logistical challenge, as the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has to be stored at a temperature of -70°C. The use of military aircraft has even been considered if transport by rail, road and sea is not sufficient.