WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is sending active-duty troops to large, federally run coronavirus vaccination centers, a large departure for the department and the first sign that the Biden administration is moving to gain more control over the program it is struggling to manage. .
The Federal Emergency Management Agency expects to set up about 100 vaccination sites across the country early next month, and on Wednesday night requested that the Pentagon send help to support these efforts. These locations, and the use of troops within them, will require the approval of state governments.
While many state governors have turned to their National Guard units to help Americans in their efforts to vaccinate and promote more infectious forms of coronavirus, the Pentagon’s role remains largely behind the scenes, providing logistical support.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. during his confirmation hearing last week. Austin Stein III said he would increase military support for managing the epidemic. On Thursday, Mr. Austin’s senior adviser for Covid-19, Max Rose, said his first topic of conversation in meetings with senior leaders was “no. 1 priority. ”
Mr Rose said the Department of Defense was “actively considering” sending troops to help set up sites, help with logistics and help put shots at weapons, Mr Rose said. He declined to comment, saying Pentagon officials would carefully review FEMA’s request.
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. “We are clearly going to source this request,” Kirby said, noting that, after review, it would likely be filled with more National Guard, reserve and active-duty troops.
Mr Kirby said, “I would say we’ll talk about these days, certainly not weeks, but to get this source.” “We know there’s an urgency.”
The military is expected to deliver thousands of troops over the next few months, not unlike the consolidation the Trump administration gathered a few years ago to supplement enforcement on the border with Mexico.
Many states and territories have set up large vaccination sites and are using more than half of the National Guard members to give shots, draw on doctors, nurses, doctors and others skilled in injections. FEMA, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, has already told six states, two territories and Washington DC that it will spend 1 1 billion on vaccine measures, including community vaccination sites.
It was not immediately clear where the vaccines would come from for the new federal sites; They will largely be drawn from supplies already supplied to individual states and territories. Most states have not come close to carrying the vaccine given to them.
Vaccines of Covid 19>
Answers to your vaccine questions
Currently about 150 million people – about half the population – are eligible for the vaccine. But each state makes the final decision about who goes first. The country’s 21 million health care workers and 30 million residents of long-term care facilities became the first to qualify. In mid-January, federal officials urged all states to open eligibility with medical conditions for everyone 65 and older, and adults of any age, who are at risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from Covid-19. Adults in the general population are behind this line. If federal and state health officials can eliminate barriers to vaccine distribution, everyone aged 16 and over will be eligible early this spring or early summer. The vaccine has not been approved in children, although studies are ongoing. It can be months before the vaccine becomes available to anyone under the age of 16. Visit your state health website for up-to-date information about vaccination policies in your area
You should not pay anything out of pocket to get the vaccine, however you will be asked for insurance information. Even if you do not have insurance, you should pay without a vaccine. Congress passed legislation this spring that barred insurers from enforcing any cost sharing, such as co-payments or deductions. It has leveraged additional protections other than pharmacies, doctors cutters and hospitals for billing patients, including insured patients. Still, health experts worry that patients could get stuck in a loophole that leaves them vulnerable to surprise bills. This could be for people who have a doctor’s visit fee with their vaccine, or for Americans who have certain types of health care that do not fall under the new rules. If you get your vaccine from a doctor’s office fee or emergency care clinic, talk to them about possible hidden charges. To make sure you don’t get a surprise bill, the best condition is to get your vaccine at the health department’s vaccination site or local pharmacy, once the vaccines are more widely available.
It has to be decided. It is possible that the Covid-19 vaccination will become an annual event like the flu shot. Or it could be that the benefits of the vaccine last longer than a year. We will have to wait and see how durable the vaccine protection is. To determine this, researchers are looking for vaccinators to find “breakthrough cases” – people who fall ill with Covid-19 despite being vaccinated. It is a sign of protection from vulnerability and will give vaccine researchers the key to how long the vaccine lasts. They will also monitor the levels of antibodies and T cells in the blood of vaccinated people to determine when a booster shot may be needed. It is conceivable that people might need a booster every few months, once a year, or just every few years. Waiting for the data.
Republican Ron Descentis, governor of Florida, has already said he does not want a “FEMA camp” in his state. “It’s not necessary in Florida,” he told reporters last week, adding that the Biden administration had announced plans to consider an epidemic, including FEMA sites. “We need more vaccines.”
The Trump administration largely prioritized states to manage epidemic efforts, leaving governors to obtain protective gear for health care workers and to conduct testing, contact tracing, and other aspects of response. While he cut deals with pharmaceutical companies to speed up vaccine development and provide guidance on who to prioritize to get shots, most states were left to manage their supply.
State governments have wreaked havoc to get their vaccines into the arsenal, including resistance among vaccine priority groups for some healthcare and nursing home workers and others, and struggles at medical centers to manage their supply.
The Biden administration has set a goal of vaccinating more Americans quickly, but it is unclear whether the logistical system should succeed quickly, especially as many Americans are now waiting for a second shot.
The federal government was reimbursing the states – many of which are struggling with large reductions in tax revenue – for just 75 percent of their national guard costs associated with coronavirus relief. The administration will increase to 100 percent by the end of September, including the support needed to distribute and administer the vaccine.
Zolan Kanno-Young contributed to the report.
