ICYMI: The Biden Administration's Five-Point COVID-19 Vaccination Plan

On Friday, President-elect Joe Biden gave a speech outlining his plans for ramping up the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. He organized his the plan into five main points:

Work with states to open up vaccination to more priority groups. Biden said his administration will work with states to allow people other than healthcare workers to get vaccinated. He specifically mentioned people 65 and older and essential works such as educators, first responders and grocery workers.

More vaccination sites. Biden promised that there were 100 federally supported vaccination centers set up during the first month of his administration. He also mentioned mobile clinics, expanding the pool of healthcare workers who could administer the vaccine, and 100% reimbursement of state costs if they use their National Guard.

Activate pharmacies. Biden referred somewhat vaguely to a “new major effort” to work with independent and chain pharmacies. “This program will expand access in neighborhoods across the country so you can make an appointment and get your shot conveniently and quickly.”

Ramp up supply and don’t hold doses back for the second dose. The president-elect again said his administration would use the Defense Production Act to accelerate the manufacturing of supplies and equipment needed to administer the vaccine. Biden also said his administration is moving toward a policy of having the first dose of vaccine administered to people as soon as the supply is available rather than holding back doses for the second dose as the Trump administration did. But in his remarks on Friday, Biden also stressed that administration is not veering from the two-dose schedule of the two vaccines that are currently available, the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna vaccines.

Increase transparency. Biden promised to “honest and transparent about where we stand — both the good news and the bad.” State and local officials, he said, haven’t known how much vaccine they will be getting so they can’t plan. “That stops with when we are in office,” Biden promised.