IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A global leader in the healthcare industry, McKesson Corporation (NYSE: MCK) will expand its existing partnership with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to support the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed (OWS) team as a centralized distributor of future COVID-19 vaccines and ancillary supplies needed to administer vaccinations. Vaccines and related supplies will be delivered to point-of-care sites across the country at the U.S. government’s direction.
“McKesson is committed to supporting public health in the U.S. and around the world,” said Brian Tyler, CEO of McKesson. “Since the onset of the pandemic, McKesson has leveraged our deep expertise to help maintain the integrity of the healthcare supply chain, source and distribute personal protective equipment to frontline workers and stand up COVID-19 testing at Health Mart pharmacies, many in underserved communities. We are honored that the U.S. government has asked McKesson to play a key role in the effort to distribute COVID-19 vaccines.”
The CDC has an existing contract with McKesson to support distribution as part of the CDC’s Vaccines for Children Program (VFC). This contract was awarded to McKesson in a competitive bidding process initiated in 2016 and includes an option for distribution of vaccines in the event of a pandemic. McKesson will utilize its expertise and capabilities, along with other industry partners, to support the CDC’s efforts to vaccinate everyone in the U.S. who wants to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. CDC and McKesson collaborated similarly in response to the H1N1 pandemic.
Beyond programs with the CDC, McKesson is the largest seasonal flu vaccine distributor in the U.S. and distributes up to 150 million doses of all vaccines annually to public health clinics, hospitals, physician offices, nursing homes, pharmacies and other care facilities.
Cautionary Statements
Except for historical information, statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in those statements. It is not possible to identify all such risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements may be identified by their use of terminology such as “will” or their references to future events, such as delivery of vaccines to point-of-care sites and support of CDC efforts. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, such as financial performance forecasts, which speak only as of the date they are first made. Except to the extent required by law, the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements. We encourage investors to read the important risk factors described in the company’s Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
These risk factors include, but are not limited to: our contracts with government entities involve future funding and compliance risks; we might be harmed by changes in our relationships or contracts with suppliers; we might be adversely impacted by changes or disruptions in product supply and we have experienced and may experience difficulties in sourcing products due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains; and we might be adversely impacted by events outside of our control, such as widespread public health issues (including the effects we have experienced from the COVID-19 pandemic), natural disasters, political events and other catastrophic events.
About McKesson Corporation
McKesson Corporation is a global leader in healthcare supply chain management solutions, retail pharmacy, community oncology and specialty care, and healthcare information solutions. McKesson partners with pharmaceutical manufacturers, providers, pharmacies, governments and other organizations in healthcare to help provide the right medicines, medical products and healthcare services to the right patients at the right time, safely and cost-effectively. United by our ICARE shared principles, our employees work every day to innovate and deliver opportunities that make our customers and partners more successful - all for the better health of patients. McKesson has been named a “Most Admired Company” in the healthcare wholesaler category by FORTUNE, a “Best Place to Work” by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, and a top military-friendly company by Military Friendly. For more information, visit www.mckesson.com.
About Operation Warp Speed
OWS is a partnership among components of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense, engaging with private firms and other federal agencies, and coordinating among existing HHS-wide efforts to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
