RALEIGH N.C. (ACME NEWS) – Last week, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), in partnership with Atrium Health Wake Forest and UPS Flight Forward, reached a new milestone in drone technology by completing the first-ever drone delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.
“This new delivery service will expand vaccine access to more people across North Carolina,” said State Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette. “We’re stepping into a new era where distance and isolation are no longer barriers to receiving potentially life-saving healthcare.”
The brief flight transported the vaccine from one section of the hospital to another, showcasing the potential for using drones in healthcare logistics.
This operation is part of NCDOT’s participation in the Federal Aviation Administration’s ‘BEYOND’ program. It adds to North Carolina’s history of drone achievements, which includes the first regular, for-profit drone delivery service and the first public air taxi demonstration in North America.
For more details on NCDOT’s drone initiatives and its Aviation Division, visit ncdot.gov/aviation.
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