‘Kind Of A Chess Game’: For States, Distributing COVID-19 Vaccine Poses Myriad Hurdles

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A nurse prepares to inject residential care home staff with the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images

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Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images

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Meanwhile, immunization managers across the country are getting fluctuating estimates on the supply of another promising new vaccine from the biotech company Moderna, Hannan said, which is hindering their ability to plan.

«They have to factor in what their allocation is and what their allocation is going to be, because in order for them to flip the switch on their long-term care facility program, they have to have enough allocation in one brand or the other, she said. «It’s kind of a chess game, making six moves in advance to get where they need to be.

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Funding is yet another hurdle for states in pulling off their vaccination campaigns. As Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s secretary of health, told NPR last week, the federal government allotted $340 million to states for vaccine distribution and administration, whereas it put billions toward producing a new COVID-19 vaccine.

Hannan said that amount is simply not enough to fund the distribution of a vaccine adequately.

«State and local governments could be just bankrupted by rolling this out, she said.

This story was produced and edited for radio by Sam Gringlas, Justine Kenin and Carol Klinger.