PORTAGE, Mich. (AP) — President Joe Biden made his first visit to Michigan since his election to tour the Pfizer vaccine-manufacturing facility in Portage.
Biden toured the facility, located just south of Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Friday afternoon and visited with workers who are helping to produce the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Afterwards, he and an official with the company delivered remarks.
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The visit to the facility was timely because it came days after the Biden administration announced it has purchased additional doses of vaccine. The administration now expects 400 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to be available by the end of May and 600 million doses of the vaccine available by the end of July.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Biden during the tour of the facility.
Before Biden's visit, Portage Mayor Patricia Randall said the city would do everything it could to help expedite the COVID-19 vaccine release to the public and said employees at the facility are working around the clock.
"Pfizer has shortened the process from 100 days down to 60," she said. "We just need help with logistics getting this out and to the places that can distribute it and into the arms of people."
Friday's tour was the president’s second out-of-town trip for White House business since beginning his term. His first was on Tuesday when he participated in a town hall event in Milwaukee.
This story was originally published by Sarah Grimmer on WXMI in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
