Source: Trump says military will help distribute coronavirus vaccine when it’s ready

Trump said he wants the vaccine to be available for most of the U.S. population, but said he wants the initial focus of distribution to go to sick and elderly individuals at the highest risk from the coronavirus.

“We’re going to focus on nursing homes and you know senior citizen centers,” he said, “because if you look at it, that is a very vulnerable group. It’s a terrible thing. So we’re going to be focused on that.”

The anticipation to have a vaccine and have the distribution network in place to rapidly deploy it comes as the Trump administration recently announced a plan to accelerate the vaccine development process, dubbed “Operation Warp Speed.” Dr. Anthony Fauci, of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, initially said normal vaccine development could take 12 to 18 months, but in announcing the accelerated effort Trump set a goal of having 100 million vaccine doses ready by the end of the year.

‘They have to get the shots’: Trump, once a vaccine skeptic, changes his tune amid measles outbreaks

 

Trump Lays Groundwork To Ban Mandatory Vaccinations Across U S

President Trump has created a new division within the Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, with the express purpose of banning mandatory vaccinations across the country, and ensuring citizens have a right to choose their own healthcare.