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CDC Tells US States to be Ready for COVID-19 Vaccines by Nov. 1

VOA News

   The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that
   it has informed public health officials in all 50 states and several
   large cities to be prepared to distribute a coronavirus vaccine by
   November 1, two days before the presidential election.

   The McClatchy news service was the first to report Wednesday that the
   CDC had sent out a four-page memo on August 27 for health departments
   to draft vaccination plans by October 1"to coincide with the earliest
   possible release of COVID-19 vaccine."

   The [1]New York Timessays the memo from Dr. Robert Redfield, the
   director of the CDC, was also sent to public health officials in all
   U.S. territories, as well as New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia,
   Houston and San Antonio.

   The CDC memo said health care professionals, employees of long-term
   care facilities and other essential workers, plus national security
   employees, should receive initial priority for a possible new vaccine.

   The Timessaid the CDC also gave priority to Americans 65 years old or
   older, people from "racial and ethnic minority populations," Native
   Americans and incarcerated individuals.

   Dr. Redfield also urged health officials to quickly approve permit
   applications from McKesson Corp., the firm that has contracted with the
   CDC to distribute vaccines to sites including state and local health
   departments and hospitals, and "if necessary'¦.consider waiving
   requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully
   operational by November 1, 2020."

References

   1. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/03/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

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