MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It is times like these when we all should be thankful that FedEx is headquartered in Memphis. Yes, it’s a Fortune 500 company – and the largest private employer in Greater Memphis. It also made Fortune’s list this year of most admired companies. But the main reason we should be grateful is not so much what FedEx is, but what it does extremely well - get material from one place to another quickly, safely, and efficiently.
Starting this week, that remarkable ability is being put to the ultimate test – with the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine to vital areas throughout the country. FedEx planes are bringing the delicate shipments of Pfizer vaccine to the FedEx Memphis hub – to be immediately rerouted to locations first on the list to administer life-saving shots in the arm.
Mid-South hospitals are also ready to begin receiving doses this week, and here’s hoping assisted living centers and first responders won’t be far behind. Which is why I think the discussion over who will accept the vaccine and who will refuse it, is a moot issue. Because by the time the shots are available to the general population later in 2021, we should know the impact from people getting the vaccine now. And the fact is, we should trust the science.
Meanwhile, let’s tip our collective hats to FedEx, UPS, and everyone else involved in this painstaking effort to get us beyond this horrible virus. And that’s my point of view.