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The first hiccups in the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. included a holdup in delivering 3,900 shots to two states and the announcement that Pfizer Inc. would deliver almost a million fewer doses next week than are set to ship this week.

The challenge of ensuring equitable distribution of the coronavirus vaccine is one of global scale, and the city of Miami provides a backdrop for the social and economic divides that the medical community must overcome.

As the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine begin to ship, trucking experts on the ground level of the distribution effort said the logistical elements are in place for a successful rollout of an estimated 50 million doses of the vaccine between now and the end of January.

The leadership of the Federal Maritime Commission says it is becoming worried that ocean carriers may be assessing unfair detention and demurrage charges at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., as well as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The first shipments of a COVID-19 vaccine for widespread use in the United States headed Dec. 13 from Michigan to distribution centers across the country, with the first shots expected to be given in the coming week to health care workers and at nursing homes.

For the trucking and logistics industry, the challenges of COVID-19 vaccine distribution are just beginning. Hundreds of millions of doses will need to be shipped around the world and in the United States, and the process is just now getting underway.

Governors should assess their capacity for transportation and address logistical issues as early as possible as they brace for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, according to the National Governors Association.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation recently awarded $61 million for projects meant to improve the state’s freight transportation network.

Two of the country’s largest freight firms reassured federal lawmakers of their preparedness in helping to deliver COVID-19 vaccines as early as this month.

UPS Inc. said it has the capacity to handle the rollout of coronavirus vaccines and an unprecedented holiday package rush this month after investments in automation, tracking technology and dry-ice production.