(CelebrityAccess) — State and federal officials across the United States are ramping up preparations for what will be the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. history.
“The cavalry is coming,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said Thursday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
The vaccine will initially be distributed to high-risk groups, such as health care workers as early as next month, with Fauci adding that he hopes it will be widely available to all Americans in April, May and June.
However, the distribution of the vaccine will be a complex process requiring coordination between state, and federal officials, as well as medical professionals.
According to the Associated Press, state officials have been readying systems to track supplies and to keep track of who has been vaccinated. The data will be accumulated in a national network that will provide health officials with a clear picture of vaccination progress around the U.S.
The process will be further complicated by the fact that the vaccine will likely consist of two separate injections that need to be delivered several weeks apart. Additionally, if more than one version of the vaccine becomes available, they won’t be effective if they are mixed.
“We not only have to bring people back for a second dose, but need to make sure that we have very good records of which vaccine they received the first time,” Dr. Jinlene Chan of Maryland’s health department told the Associated Press.
Some officials have expressed concern about public resistance to being vaccinated.
“If there’s going to be any real challenge, to be honest with you, it’s going to be convincing folks to get the vaccine,” Patrick Peer, a Nebraska health administrator told the AP.
