The good news is that the first wave of Covid-19 vaccines may be in the distribution channel soon. Like many of my fellow travelers, I have had a key question. Will I get some form of verification that I have received a Covid-19 vaccine? We now have a first look at the CDC vaccination card.
Yesterday, the Department of Defense showed the CDC Covid-19 vaccination record card. The Department of Defense is a key player along with the CDS and HHS as they have been tasked with the immensely complex distribution of the vaccine.
“Vaccination cards will be used as the ‘simplest way’ to keep track of Covid-19 shots”, said Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of the Immunization Action Coalition.
“Everyone will be issued a written card that they can put in their wallet that will tell them what they had and when their next dose is due,” Moore said. “Let’s do the simple, easy thing first. Everyone’s going to get that.”
Vaccine Approval
Pfizer and Moderna have applied for emergency use authorizations (EUA). The next steps are for a U.S. Food and Drug Administration panes to discuss possible authorizations. These discussions are scheduled to take place on December 10th and 17th. If these discussions result in approval, shipments of vaccines could begin as early as December 15th according to Operation Warp Speed.
The vaccination will consist of two doses spaced days apart. Medical professionals administering the vaccine may ask you for your cell phone number so they can send you a text message for the date and location of the second dose.
Vaccine Distribution
The first part of the plan is who gets the vaccine first by establishing a priority list by the CDC. The majority of the U. S. population will not have access to the vaccine until well into 2021. The CDC is looking at prioritizing vaccine distribution to:
- Health care workers,
- Residents of long-term care facilities and
- Those 65 years of age or older.
The challenges of moving millions of doses will be a logistical nightmare. These vaccines must be kept at temperatures as low as -100 degrees Fahrenheit. Special shipping containers are being built that can maintain these low temperatures for distribution by aircraft. The Department of Defense has the logistics experience to make these moves possible. Army General Gus Perna is the logistics expert heading the vaccine distribution efforts.
Final Thoughts
The covid-19 vaccines have broken all records for development and approval which is great news. Usually, vaccines require four to ten years of development and testing before they are submitted to the FDA for approval. As a traveller, I have been asking about how I can prove that I have received the vaccine. The CDC vaccination card will provide the proof along with a record of doses. Operation Warp Speed is hoping to have 100 million Americans vaccinated by February, 2021.
