Prognosis
States Face Monumental Challenges Readying Vaccine Distribution
As a deadline looms, Washington demands rigorous plans but offers little help
A health worker holds blood samples during clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine in Hollywood, Florida.
Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
As states race the clock to ready their plans to vaccinate millions of people by an Oct. 16 federal deadline, they are pushing ahead with the health planning equivalent of wearing blindfolds.
State health officials, under intense time pressure, are grappling with a multitude of logistical hurdles, yet they haven’t a clue which vaccine they will be distributing nor when — or even if — a vaccine will be forthcoming.