>>> OF COURSE, ALL OF THIS IN
WASHINGTON PLAYING OUT WITH THE
SHADOW OF THE PANDEMIC LOOMING
LARGE.
WE’RE NOW IN WEEK FIVE OF THE
VACCINE ROLLOUT.
STILL, MILLIONS OF DOSES GOING
UNUSED, DESPITE HIGH DEMAND.
TAKE A LIVE LOOK RIGHT NOW.
ONE VACCINATION SITE IN MIAMI,
CARS STARTING TO LINE UP FOR
HOURS.
THEY’VE ALL GOT APPOINTMENTS,
BUT JUST GETTING THE APPOINTMENT
HAS PROVEN TO BE A REAL
CHALLENGE ALL ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
HERE WITH MORE ON THE ROLLOUT IS
CNBC SENIOR HEALTH AND SCIENCE
REPORTER MEG TIRRELL.
GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> Reporter: MY PLEASURE.
>> SO THE LATEST UPDATE ON THE
VACCINE ROLLOUT IS THE SUPER
DISTRIBUTION CENTERS ALL OVER
THE U.S.
IS THIS A STEP IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION, TO TRY TO SPEED THIS
PROCESS US?
>> Reporter: EXPERTS SAY IT
ABSOLUTELY IS.
WE’RE REALLY ENTERING THIS SORT
OF NEW PERIOD OF THE VACCINE
ROLLOUT, WHERE YOU’RE SEEING
THESE MASS SITES IN CONVENTION
CENTERS, IN STADIUMS ALL ACROSS
THE COUNTRY, REALLY STARTING TO
COME ON BOARD.
UP UNTIL THIS POINT, IT WAS
REALLY JUST HOSPITALS AND
NURSING HOMES THAT WERE GIVING
OUT THESE SHOTS.
IT IS STARTING TO MOVE MORE INTO
THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE GOING TO SEE PHARMACIES,
AS WELL.
THE BIG CHAINS LIKE CVS OVER THE
COMING WEEKS AFTER STARTING TO
GET THESE VACCINES AND STARTING
TO ENABLE YOU TO MAKE
APPOINTMENTS ON THEIR WEBSITES.
THAT WILL REALLY INCREASE
CAPACITY, AS WELL.
CVS SAYS IT CAN DO 20 TO 25
MILLION VACCINES FOR COVID-19
ALONE EVERY MONTH.
THE PROBLEM IS GOING TO BE
GETTING THE SUPPLY OF THE
VACCINES TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO
DO THAT MANY.
SO THIS IS A START, BUT JUST A
START.
>> ON THAT NOTE, MEG, WEST
VIRGINIA IS LEADING IN
VACCINATIONS PER CAPITA RIGHT
NOW WITH FIRST DOSES BEING
ADMINISTERED AT A RATE OF 70.5%.
THAT’S ACCORDING TO THEIR
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE.
WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND IN YOUR
REPORTING AS TO WHY SOME STATES
ARE DOING BETTER WITHTHAN OTHERS
WITH THE ROLLOUT?
>> Reporter: IT’S SUCH A MIXED
PICTURE RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, 50 DIFFERENT STATES HAVE
50 DIFFERENT PLANS.
WHAT WE’VE SEEN WORK REALLY WELL
IN WEST VIRGINIA IS THAT THEY
TOOK IT ON THEMSELVES TO GET
INTO THEIR NURSING HOMES, TO GET
THOSE VACCINES TO REALLY
VULNERABLE FOLKS THERE.
THEY’VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS IN
THAT WAY.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS
WE’RE HEARING ABOUT AROUND THE
COUNTRY IS THAT SOME OF THESE
PRIORITIZATION GROUPS HAVE BEEN
KEPT TOO TIGHT.
THERE’S BEEN AN URGING FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR STATES TO
REALLY OPEN THAT UP, THE WAY
YOU’VE SEEN FLORIDA AND TEXAS
DO, FOR EXAMPLE, TO MORE
SENIORS.
THAT, OF COURSE, LEADS TO THESE
INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING
SITUATIONS, WHERE IT IS
IMPOSSIBLE TO GET AN
APPOINTMENT.
IT’S STILL VERY FRUSTRATING
RIGHT NOW.
>> MEG, PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN
ANNOUNCED ON FRIDAY A PLAN TO
ADMINISTER 100 MILLION SHOTS IN
HIS FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE.
THAT’S A CATCHY PROMISE, BUT IS
IT REALISTIC?
>> Reporter: YOU KNOW, IT’S
SOUNDING MORE AND MORE LIKE IT
IS REALISTIC.
ON FRIDAY, WE GOT NEW NUMBERS
FROM THE CDC ON WHERE
VACCINATIONS ARE.
THEY ADDED MORE THAN 750,000 NEW
SHOTS ADMINISTERED IN THAT ONE
DAY.
WE’RE ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF
THE WAY THERE.
NIH DIRECTOR FRANCIS COLLINS
SAID A MILLION VACCINATIONS A
DAY IS ALSO A GOOD BENCHMARK TO
SHOOT FOR.
IT’S ACHIEVABLE, BUT AT THAT
PACE, IT’D STILL TAKE US A LONG
TIME TO GET TO 80% OF ADULTS OR
SO THAT PEOPLE SAY WE NEED FOR
HERD IMMUNITY.
THAT’D TAKE US MORE THAN A YEAR.
WE STILL NEED TO SPEED UP EVEN
MORE.
>> MEG, WE’RE STARTING TO SEE
MANY STATES WIDEN THE
ELIGIBILITY FOR VACCINE.
I HAVE SOME FRIENDS WHO HAVE
ACTUALLY GOTTEN AN APPOINTMENT
DOWN IN FLORIDA.
THEY PLAN TO DRIVE DOWN.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TIPS ON HOW
TO GET IN LINE?
>> Reporter: THE FIRST THING
THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW IS
WHERE THEY FIT IN LINE.
IF YOU ARE A YOUNG, HEALTHY
PERSON, RIGHT NOW IS NOT THE
TIME YOU’RE LIKELY TO BE ABLE TO
GET A VACCINE, UNLESS YOU’RE IN
A PRIORITIZED GROUP, OF FRONT
LINE ESSENTIAL WORKERS, FOR
EXAMPLE.
FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU ARE AND
WHEN YOU CAN EXPECT TO
POTENTIALLY GET A VACCINE.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, GO TO YOUR
STATE, CITY, COUNTY, HEALTH
DEPARTMENT WEBSITE.
THEY SHOULD BE INFORMATION THERE
ABOUT THEIR PRIORITY GROUPS.
THEY SHOULD ALSO HAVE
INFORMATION ABOUT IF THERE ARE
VACCINE SIGN-UPS AVAILABLE.
MAKE SURE TO PUT YOUR NAME DOWN,
YOUR INFORMATION DOWN.
ANOTHER PLACE TO LOOK IS YOUR
LOCAL PHARMACY.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR’S OFFICE.
THEY SHOULD HAVE INFORMATION,
EITHER ABOUT IF THEY HAVE THE
VACCINE OR WHEN IT MIGHT BE
COMING.
FINALLY, YOUR EMPLOYER IS
ANOTHER PLACE TO ASK.
THEY MIGHT BE GETTING
INFORMATION FROM THE STATE OR
COUNTY LEVEL AND CAN TELL YOU
WHEN YOUR GROUP BECOMES