The Department of Defense is planning to start distributing Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine next week with about 44,000 doses in just over a dozen locations in the U.S. and abroad, CNBC reports.
The Pentagon released the first part of it’s multi-phase plan on Wednesday, showing that it plans to start providing the vaccine at 13 military installations within the United States and at three overseas for health-care providers, emergency workers, and some service members, among others.
Defense officials note that the vaccine must be kept at an extremely low temperature while in storage, and that this, along with the need to administer two doses for the most protection, presents a challenge to distribution.
“We chose locations with extra cold storage capability, sizable local priority populations and with medical staffs large enough to administer. We chose locations for military services, including active and reserve components,” said Army Lt. Gen. Dr. Ronald Place, who heads the Pentagon’s Health Agency.
“As part of this initial phase of health-care workers, emergency responders, etcetera, we do have a very small set of very visible senior leaders that will volunteer to take the vaccine as one way to help message the safety and efficacy and to encourage all eligible personnel to take the vaccine,” he added.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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