coronavirus vaccine

Left Out of COVID-19 Vaccine Planning, Biden Advisers Developing Their Own Distribution Strategy

The ongoing refusal of the GSA to recognize Biden will be the next president is keeping the Democrat's aides from seeing Trump administration planning

Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden wears a face mask to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as he and Jill Biden depart after placing a wreath at the Delaware Memorial Bridge Veterans Memorial Park, Monday, May 25, 2020, in New Castle, Del.
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Doctors close to President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team are working to develop their own plans to mass distribute a coronavirus vaccine, concerned that Trump administration planning will leave them underprepared when he leaves office.

President Donald Trump's ongoing refusal to concede and his administration's unwillingness to acknowledge Biden means that those working to develop the vaccine distribution plan cannot start to share the plans with those who will take over in January.

"We're in a COVID-crisis," said Ron Klain, Biden's incoming chief of staff in an interview with MSNBC Thursday. "Right now, there are officials inside the Department of Health and Human Services who are busy planning a vaccination campaign for the months of February and March when Joe Biden will be president so the sooner we can get our transition experts into meetings with the folks who are planning the vaccination campaign, the more seamless the transition."

The physicians working with Biden's team have been in contact with CVS and Walgreens, which they see as key distribution points for the general public, and have been tracking whether the retail pharmacies will have the staffing and supplies needed to vaccinate millions of Americans, said one person close to the transition.

Read the full story at NBCNews.com.

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