Steep Challenges Seen for Biden Goal of 100 Million COVID-19 Vaccinations in 100 Days

The Biden administration is facing a tall order to meet its goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in its first 100 days, given the weaknesses and ongoing delays in the country’s decentralized distribution and vaccination process.

Fewer than half of the 31 million doses distributed by the federal government to states have been administered so far, the Centers of Disease Controls and Prevention said Wednesday. But that seemingly contradicts reports of vaccine shortages from more than a few states.

The Biden administration is expressing optimism. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said this week that the goal of 100 million doses in 100 days is “absolutely a doable thing,” in part because he expects Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca to submit their vaccines for FDA Emergency Use Authorization within weeks.

To make its goal a reality, the Biden administration, among other measures, is planning for 100 federally funded vaccination centers and says it will invoke the Defense Production Act if needed to require companies to manufacture urgently needed products (DID, Jan. 19).

An executive order President Biden signed on Wednesday calls for “coordinating the federal government’s efforts to produce, supply and distribute personal protective equipment, vaccines, tests and other supplies.” And the White House website says the administration is seeking to invest $25 billion in “a vaccine manufacturing and distribution plan that will guarantee it gets to every American, cost-free.”

Also, some private companies are offering to help with the 100-day goal. In a Wednesday letter to President Biden, Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO Dave Clark said “Amazon stands ready to assist you in reaching your goal of vaccinating 100 million Americans in the first 100 days of your administration,” pledging support from its “operations, information technology and communications capabilities and expertise.”

But the administration will face multiple hurdles in reaching its 100-day vaccination target. In addition to supply shortages, reports are coming in of distribution problems. Health officials in Maine on Monday discovered that 4,400 doses of the Moderna vaccine had been in boxes exposed to temperatures higher than the maximum allowed. And a day later, 21 shipments containing about 11,900 doses of Moderna’s vaccine on the way to Michigan were spoiled because of temperature control issues, the state’s health officials said.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) has been especially vocal about the difficulties that states are facing. “The main limiting factor right now in our fight against the spread of COVID-19 in Colorado is the limited supply of the vaccine,” he said. Based on its current infrastructure, the state could “utilize three to five times” the number of doses it is getting, but “the reality is we are exhausting our supply each week and it’s frustrating how slow we are receiving vaccination doses,” he said.

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel, whose company manufactures one of the two COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized by the FDA, said the company will deliver 100 million doses to the federal government by the end of March, but that any disruption in raw materials for the vaccine or distribution problems could result in critical delays.

And in mid-December, the International Air Cargo Association and Pharma.Aero — which represents the air cargo industry — reported that just 46 percent of air cargo companies, including airlines, freight forwarders, ground handlers, airport operators and IT solution providers, felt well prepared to transport COVID-19 vaccines. But that was a significant increase from just 28 percent feeling ready in September. — Martin Berman-Gorvine