PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The federal government has told states to prepare for a coronavirus vaccine to be ready to distribute by Nov. 1.
The timeline raised concern among public health experts about an “October surprise” — a vaccine approval driven by political considerations ahead of a presidential election, rather than science.
In a letter to governors dated Aug. 27, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said states “in the near future” will receive permit applications from McKesson Corp.
The company has contracted with CDC to distribute vaccines to places including state and local health departments and hospitals.
But health departments that have been underfunded for decades say they currently lack the staff, money and tools to educate people about vaccines and then to distribute, administer and track doses to some 330 million people.
