When a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, it will be in short supply and rationed by the federal government.
The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine have presented an equitable distribution plan that is being used as a framework by the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which will soon make the final decision on the when certain groups of Americans will have access to the vaccine.
The process could start very soon. The first COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be cleared by the Food and Drug Administration within the next month, with distribution to begin in no more than 24 hours in all union states. A second vaccine could be authorized two weeks later. Sufficient vaccine for 20 million people is expected to be available in December, with more in 2021.
A “start-up group” will be the first in line – people who risk their lives to care for the sick and keep society safe. This includes frontline healthcare workers, first responders, cleaners and ambulance drivers. There are three other priority groups ahead of the general population. Reaching everyone can take up to a year.
Here is the provisional deployment plan:
