WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is considering sending active troops to major federally administered coronavirus vaccine centers, a major shift for the department and the first significant sign that the Biden government is moving to take more control of a program that states are struggling to manage.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency expects to establish about 100 vaccine sites across the country as early as next month, and on Wednesday night asked the Pentagon to send aid to support the effort. The locations, and the use of military personnel within them, would require the approval of state governments.
While many state governors have turned to National Guard units to assist in the mass effort to vaccinate Americans and overcome the most contagious variants of the coronavirus, the Pentagon’s role has largely been behind the scenes, providing help with logistics.
During his confirmation hearings last week, Lloyd J. Austin III, the defense secretary, said he would increase military support to control the pandemic. On Thursday, Max Rose, Austin’s senior consultant for Covid-19, said his first topic of conversation in meetings with senior leaders was to make this the “No. 1 priority. “
Sending troops to help set up sites, assist with logistics and even throw weapons is something the Department of Defense is “actively considering,” said Rose. He declined to provide details, saying Pentagon officials would be carefully reviewing FEMA’s request.
“Obviously we will provide this request,” said John F. Kirby, the Pentagon’s press secretary, noting that, after a review, it would likely be filled with more National Guard, reserve and active troops.
“I would say that we are talking about days, certainly not weeks, to achieve this,” said Kirby. “We know that there is an urgency.”
The military is likely to supply thousands of soldiers in the coming months, not unlike the mobilization that the Trump administration organized a few years ago to complement surveillance on the border with Mexico.
Many states and territories have created large vaccination sites and more than half are using National Guard members to give injections, using doctors, nurses, doctors and other injection specialists. FEMA, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, has already told six states, two territories and Washington, DC, that it would spend $ 1 billion on vaccination measures, including community vaccination sites.
It was not immediately clear where vaccines would come from to new federal locations; they would likely be taken from the supply already given to individual states and territories. Most states have not come close to administering the vaccine they received.
Vaccines for covid19>
Answers to your vaccine questions
Currently, more than 150 million people – almost half the population – can be vaccinated. But each state makes the final decision about who goes first. The country’s 21 million health workers and three million residents in long-term care facilities were the first to qualify. In mid-January, federal authorities urged all states to open eligibility for everyone aged 65 and over and adults of any age with medical conditions that put them at high risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from Covid-19. Adults in the general population are at the rear of the line. If federal and state health officials can resolve bottlenecks in vaccine distribution, everyone aged 16 and over will be eligible as early as this spring or early summer. The vaccine has not been approved in children, although studies are ongoing. It may take months before a vaccine is available to anyone under the age of 16. Go to your state’s health website for up-to-date information on vaccination policies in your area
You should not have to pay anything out of your pocket to get the vaccine, although insurance information is requested. Even if you do not have insurance, you should receive the vaccine free of charge. Congress passed legislation this spring that prohibits insurers from applying any cost sharing, such as copayment or deductibles. He imposed additional protections, preventing pharmacies, doctors and hospitals from charging patients, including those without insurance. Even so, health experts fear that patients may run into loopholes that leave them vulnerable to unexpected bills. This can happen for those who pay a medical consultation fee with their vaccine, or Americans who have certain types of health coverage that do not fall under the new rules. If you get the vaccine at a doctor’s office or urgent care clinic, talk to them about possible hidden costs. To make sure you don’t get a surprise bill, the best bet is to get your vaccine at a vaccination post in the health department or at a local pharmacy as soon as the vaccines are more widely available.
This must be determined. It is possible that Covid-19 vaccines will become an annual event, as well as the flu vaccine. Or it may be that the benefits of the vaccine last for more than a year. We have to wait and see how durable vaccine protection is. To determine this, the researchers will screen vaccinated people for “innovative cases” – those who fall ill with Covid-19 despite the vaccination. This is a sign of weakened protection and will give researchers clues as 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 whether and when a booster injection may be needed. It is conceivable that people need reinforcements every few months, once a year or just every few years. It is just a matter of waiting for the data.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has said he does not want “FEMA camps” in his state. “This is not necessary in Florida,” he told reporters last week after the Biden government publicized its plan to deal with the pandemic, including FEMA websites. “All we need is more vaccine”.
The Trump administration preferred that states manage efforts to combat the pandemic, leaving governors to purchase protective equipment for healthcare professionals and administer tests, contact tracking and other aspects of the response. While closing deals with pharmaceutical companies to accelerate vaccine development and offering guidance on who to prioritize in receiving vaccines, it largely left the states to manage its supplies.
State governments faced several obstacles to putting their vaccines in the arms, including resistance among some health and nursing home workers and others in priority vaccine groups, and difficulties in medical centers to manage their supplies.
The Biden government has set targets to vaccinate more Americans quickly, but it is unclear whether there will be enough supply if it manages to speed up the logistics system, especially with many Americans now awaiting the second injection.
The federal government had been reimbursing states – many of them struggling with huge declines in tax revenue – for just 75% of National Guard costs associated with coronavirus relief. The administration will increase to 100 percent, including the necessary support for the distribution and administration of vaccines, by the end of September.
Zolan Kanno-Youngs contributed reporting.