The Department of Defense said on Thursday that it received a request from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help “administer” the coronavirus vaccine in the United States
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the department is “evaluating the request and what support it can offer”.
A nurse prepares a COVID-19 vaccine in Pittsboro, NC, at Piedmont Health Senior Care, a federally qualified health center where PACE patients and underserved populations are receiving the coronavirus vaccine.
(AP)
“Given the importance of the request, it will be reviewed urgently, but carefully to determine which DoD assets can be safely made available to support the effort,” said Kirby in a statement. “As Secretary (Lloyd) Austin said, the DoD is committed to doing its utmost to help the entire government’s efforts against COVID-19.”
Kirby did not specify the number of soldiers that would be needed to carry out such an operation, but it is expected to reach thousands.
Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Kirby said any aid assistance would likely be a “mix of National Guard and Reserve forces on duty to help carry out a variety of coronavirus-related tasks, including helping to take more vaccines in people’s arms.
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The statement came after President Joe Biden said on Monday that he believed it was possible to administer 150 million doses of the COVID vaccine during his first 100 days in office. He also said that in the spring, anyone who wants to get vaccinated can do it.
“I think it will be this spring. I think we will be able to do that this spring. But it will be a logistical challenge that goes beyond anything we’ve tried in this country,” said the president. “But I think we can do that.”
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The next day, the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, seemed to contain the president’s optimism.
“The president’s goal is to ensure greater availability in the spring,” said Psaki. “But the fact is,” she added, “not all Americans will be eligible this spring.”
Ronn Blitzer of Fox News contributed to this report.