JBS USA will now cover 100 percent of COVID-19 healthcare costs for its employees. The action is retroactive to March 1st and includes any family members enrolled in the healthcare plan as dependents.
All diagnosis costs and any treatment needed are covered. This could include covering the coronavirus vaccine treatment.
We are still waiting to see where food supply chain workers rank in the distribution schedule, but doctors heading up the U.S. vaccine effort say that we could see the first immunizations as soon as December 12th.
The FDA Advisory Committee is slated to meet December 10th to discuss the Pfizer vaccine. Pfizer submitted its “emergency use” authorization on Friday.
The company has said that it would be ready to ship the vaccines out within hours. Taking into account the time needed to ship them, vaccinations could begin the second day after approval, which is currently forecast as December 12th.
There is one concern about the Pfizer vaccine and it involves the biofuels industry.
Unlike Moderna’s treatment, this one will need to be stored in ultra-cold freezers, at -94 degrees. That is best done with dry ice, which is made with liquid carbon dioxide.
The problem is that it is in short supply right now. Most CO2 in the U.S. is captured from ethanol and ammonia production. The ethanol industry is still recovering from shutdowns back in spring. Not all U.S. ethanol plants capture their CO2; the Renewable Fuels Association says that creating incentives for them to do so could help with the problem.
Related:
Pfizer says their COVID-19 vaccine is looking 90 percent effective
COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed before the end of the year
Dolly Parton donation helping with COVID vaccine
Two companies are almost ready to release their COVID vaccine