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US Lays Out Extensive Plans for Free Coronavirus Vaccinations

Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON - The U.S. government Wednesday outlined extensive plans to
   provide Americans with free vaccinations against the coronavirus, but
   officials offered conflicting views on just how soon the preventative
   shots will be widely available.

   Paul Mango, an official at the Department of Health and Human Services,
   told Bloomberg News that health experts expect the Food and Drug
   Administration will approve a safe vaccine by the end of 2020 and that
   the national government has contracts with drug manufacturers to
   produce enough doses so that all Americans can be vaccinated by the end
   of March.

   Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and
   Prevention, did not commit to a timetable during testimony at a Senate
   coronavirus hearing.

   Asked for a vaccine timetable, Redfield said, "If you're asking me when
   is it going to be available to the American public, I think we're
   probably looking at late second quarter, third quarter 2021."

   Another key coronavirus official, Army Lieutenant General Paul
   Ostrowski, said that as soon as the FDA approves the safety of the
   shots, "We will have vaccines moving to administration sites, within 24
   hours."

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