US CDC Next Director, "100 Million Vaccinations Possible Within 100 Days of Biden's Inauguration" (Summary)

10.59 Million Vaccinated So Far... Still Stagnant
Controversy Over Designating Smokers as Vaccination Priority... "Vaccinated Before Teachers"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Health experts in the Joe Biden administration, set to launch on the 20th, have been emphasizing that it is possible to vaccinate 100 million people against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) within 100 days of inauguration, as promised by President-elect Biden.

According to foreign media such as CNBC, on the 17th (local time), Rochelle Walensky, the nominee for director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), appeared on CBS and stated, "It is entirely possible to vaccinate 100 million Americans within 100 days of inauguration, as promised by President-elect Biden," adding, "We will allocate vaccines to areas with shortages and deploy additional vaccination personnel where there is a lack of staff, tailored to each state's situation."

Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also appeared on NBC the same day and said, "Within one to two weeks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to receive data for approval applications for AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines," expressing optimism that "these vaccines will be approved within weeks, making the goal of vaccinating 100 million people within 100 days after Biden's inauguration achievable."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to The New York Times (NYT), the Biden transition team plans to expand vaccine distribution so that vaccines, which until now could mainly be administered at hospitals and local medical institutions, can also be given at community pharmacies. Along with this, the priority vaccination group, which had been limited to existing medical staff and elderly residents in nursing homes, will be expanded to include seniors aged 65 and older and individuals with underlying health conditions. They believe that by using all reserved vaccines for second doses, vaccinating 100 million people within 100 days is feasible.

According to the CDC, since vaccinations began nationwide on the 14th of last month, only 12.27 million people have been vaccinated under the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed. Excluding those who have received the second dose, effectively only 10.59 million people have been vaccinated so far. The number of vaccine doses delivered stands at 31.16 million, leading to forecasts that fulfilling President-elect Biden's pledge may not be easy.

Rather, confusion over vaccination eligibility guidelines between the CDC and state governments is causing controversy to grow. According to CNN, some states such as New Jersey and Mississippi have classified smokers as respiratory disease patients and included them as vaccination targets, spreading controversy. CNN reports that local residents are voicing dissatisfaction, saying smokers are receiving vaccinations before essential workers like teachers.