How Houston is paying major role in transporting COVID-19 vaccines around the world

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston is playing a big role in moving the COVID-19 vaccine around the globe.

ABC13 got an inside look at the United Cargo Facility at Bush Intercontinental Airport where they're moving the vaccine through each week to places around the world.

When the planes land at Bush, the vaccine is taken off and put into a cold storage facility here.

The facility itself and the container for the vaccine can be controlled at negative 100 degrees Fahrenheit, perfect for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine.

Usually, the vaccines are kept at the facility until they're flown elsewhere.

The vaccines are placed in the cargo hold of regular flights that United passengers take.

United says a million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can fit in the belly of a plane.

United Airlines was the first carrier to fly the vaccine into the U.S. from Europe, between Brussels and Chicago back in November.

Follow TJ Parker on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

RELATED:

Biden launches community coalitions to boost COVID vaccinations

Marking a year of loss and disruption, President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law the $1.9 trillion relief package that he said will help the U.S. defeat the coronavirus and nurse the economy back to health.

Pfizer says COVID vaccine protection lasts at least 6 months; Company can now seek full FDA approval

Dr. Ashish Jha has more on what Pfizer's COVID vaccine clinical trials could mean for herd immunity.