States Ramp Up For Biggest Vaccination Effort In US History
Source: AP News
With a COVID-19 vaccine drawing closer, public health officials across the country are gearing up for the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. history — a monumental undertaking that must distribute hundreds of millions of doses, prioritize who’s first in line and ensure that people who get the initial shot return for the necessary second one.
The push could begin as early as next month, when federal officials say the first vaccine may be authorized for emergency use and immediately deployed to high-risk groups, such as health care workers. “The cavalry is coming,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He said he hopes shots will be available to all Americans in April, May and June.
Pfizer also boosted hopes this week, saying early data suggests its vaccine is 90% effective. But the good news came in one of the grimmest weeks of the pandemic so far. Deaths, hospitalizations and new infections are surging across the U.S. — and turning up the pressure to get the vaccine effort right. In Philadelphia, the health department is counting how many health care workers and others would be among the first in line. In Louisiana, officials are planning a remote exercise this week to play out different scenarios exploring how the process might unfold.
“If you get 10,000 doses, what are you going to do, versus 100,000 doses?” said Dr. Frank Welch, director of Louisiana’s immunization program. State and local officials are also planning for the likelihood that the first shipments will not be enough to cover everyone in high-priority groups. Similar preparations are happening at the federal level. Welch listened in last week on a “war gaming” session by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services...
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/biggest-vaccination-effort-us-history-2d46fd529b2ff5313201e8065b81c0d7
To launch the vaccination effort, state officials have been preparing systems to track supplies and who has been vaccinated. The information will be entered into a national network and will be critical in giving federal health officials an up-to-date picture of vaccinations around the country.
- Drive-thru flu clinic in Carlton, Minn. The facility is a way to social distance in the coronavirus pandemic, but also served as a test run for the COVID-19 vaccines that county health officials still know little about. (Jared Hovi/Carlton County GIS via AP)
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I think some were by shots and others administered on sugar cubes. I know it was given to all children (I was in grade school) but don't recall if it was given to adults.
This one will be far more challenging but we're up to this task, especially with President Biden leading the charge. I would assume they will eventually try to achieve nearly 100% vaccination coverage, pending any allergy-related limitations or bull-headed RW anti-vaccine nutjobs screwing up the works. The fear mongers will be coming out in great numbers.
Looking forward to seeing this started and returning to normalcy in many ways the next four years......
