A member prepares a vaccine at the Air Reserve Station at Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania on April 11, 2019.
Joshua J. Seybert | US Air Forces
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon on Wednesday outlined its first steps in the agency’s plan to distribute and administer Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to more than 2 million active duty, reserve and civil defense workers – a colossal logistical feat that is turning out to be will initially focus on immunizing priority populations across 16 locations.
The Department of Defense is slated to distribute its first 44,000 doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine as early as next week.
In the first three-phase approach, the Pentagon will offer the vaccine in 13 military facilities in the United States and three overseas to health care providers, emergency services, public safety personnel, and select service members and their families.
The vaccine requires two-dose therapy to ensure the highest level of protection from Covid-19, with a second, higher dose being given about a month later. Pfizer’s vaccine requires ultra-cold storage that can keep the doses at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit.
“We have selected sites with additional cooling capacity, sizeable local priority populations, and medical personnel large enough to be managed. We have selected sites for military service, including active and reserve components,” said Lt. Gen. Dr. Ronald Place from the Pentagon Director of the Health Department.
“As part of this early stage of health care workers, emergency responders, etc., we have a very small group of very visible executives who volunteer to use the vaccine as a way to promote safety and effectiveness and promote all legitimate Employees supposed to take the vaccine, “said Place.
Defense officials added that the vaccine is not currently mandatory but is highly recommended.
“The first time the vaccine is issued under emergency authorization, it is usually on a voluntary basis,” Place said, adding that he should be taking the vaccine and doing the CDC’s public health mitigation efforts in the intermediate practice .
Defense officials downplayed concerns that the coronavirus poses a significant risk to U.S. soldiers who are not part of the first round of vaccination.
“We have been fortunate to have large numbers of our armed forces outperforming others on age criteria and health,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said when asked if there were concerns about a small population of the US military forces, who receive the vaccine.
Continue reading: According to the Pentagon, the coronavirus poses a low risk for troops and military logistics
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