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– As December draws to a close, the US is well behind its target of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of the month. According to the CDC, about 11.4 million doses of coronavirus vaccine have been distributed, but only 2.1 million. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both require two doses spaced weeks apart. Administration officials have admitted that the rollout has been slower than expected, although they say a delay in reporting means the number of people vaccinated is higher than the CDC numbers show, CNBC reports. But even with a possible under-rating, the US “is definitely not on the numbers we wanted by the end of December,” Dr. Anthony Fauci Tuesday to CNN,
“Even if you count too little, 2 million as negative equity, how much would that be?” Fauci said. “So we’re down where we want to be.” President-elect Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the effort has “fallen far behind.” He warned that “if it keeps moving as it is now, it will take years, not months, to vaccinate the American people,” ABC reports. He promised that when he takes office next month, he will “move heaven and earth” to achieve his government’s goal of delivering 100 million photos in his first 100 days as president. He said the massive vaccination program will “ take more time than the Trump administration’s promises suggest, ” but added, “ This is going to be the greatest operational challenge we’ve ever faced as a nation, and we’ll get it happened. (Biden plans to invoke the Defense Production Act to speed things up.)