>>> OBVIOUSLY, WE’VE BEEN
TALKING QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE
CORONAVIRUS VACCINE ROLLOUT AND
HOW IT’S FALLEN SHORT OF
EXPECTATIONS.
WELL, PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN
IS AIMING FOR 100 MILLION SHOTS
IN HIS FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE.
>> EARLIER ON "TODAY," I TALKED
WITH DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, WHO SAID
HE, QUOTE, STRONGLY BELIEVES
THAT THE PRESIDENT-ELECT’S GOAL
IS DOABLE.
BUT IN ORDER TO HIT THAT NUMBER,
THE PROCESS HAS TO SPEED UP.
THERE’S A 22-YEAR-OLD WIZ KID IN
PHILADELPHIA WHO MAY HAVE
FIGURED OUT A WAY TO DO IT.
NBC’S STEPHANIE GOSK LIVE WITH
HIS STORY.
STEPH, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY
COOL KID.
>> Reporter: YEAH, HE DEFINITELY
IS.
CRAIG, YOU KNOW, THE SUCCESS OF
HIS VACCINATION PROGRAM, AS IT
OPENS TO A LARGER POPULATION,
WILL HINGE ON THE MASS
VACCINATION SITES.
PLACES THAT ARE VACCINATING
HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE A
DAY.
THEY HAVE TO BE RUN SMOOTHLY AND
EFFICIENTLY.
TO DO IT DURING THIS
UNPRECEDENTED EFFORT, YOU HAVE
TO KICK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.
THAT’S WHAT THE CITY OF
PHILADELPHIA IS DOING.
>> WE’RE REALLY TAKING PART IN
SOMETHING THAT IS NUTS, JUST
TOTALLY NUTS.
>> Reporter: THIS WAS THE SCENE
IN A PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION
CENTER RIGHT BEFORE THE LAUNCH
OF THE LARGEST MASS VACCINATION
SITE IN THE STATE.
>> EVERY SINGLE PATIENT IS GOING
TO GET A TIMESTAMPED STICKER
HERE.
>> Reporter: A TEST TO SEE IF
1200 PEOPLE A DAY CAN GET
VACCINATED AT A RATE OF 150 AN
HOUR.
>> THEY’RE RUNNING A VERY
ORDERLY OPERATION OF HAVING
PEOPLE PRE-REGISTER, THEN COME
IN, SOCIALLY DISTANCE, AND SAFE.
>> HEALTH DEPARTMENT CAN’T DO
THIS ALONE.
>> Reporter: CAROLYN JOHNSON IS
THE DEPUTY HEALTH COMMISSIONER.
>> OUTSIDE THE BOX THINKING IS
WHAT IT TAKES.
PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE ENTHUSIASM,
IDEAS, AND CAN PUT THEM INTO
ACTION.
>> Reporter: AND IN JUST TWO
DAYS, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
VACCINATED 2,500 HEALTH CARE
WORKERS, RELYING ON AN UNLIKELY
PARTNER.
>> IT IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
HERE WHO IS GIVING US A SHOT.
>> Reporter: 22-YEAR-OLD ANDRE
DEROSHEN IS A GRAD STUDENT WHO
GATHERED HIS FRIENDS AND A
PROFESSOR AND FOUNDED PHILLY
FIGHTING COVID AT THE START OF
THE PANDEMIC.
>> WE DON’T THINK LIKENS
CONSTITUTIONAL, YOU KNOW, WE’RE
ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS, COMPUTER
SCIENTISTS, CYBER SECURITY
NERDS.
WE THINK A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY
THAN PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE DO.
>> Reporter: THEY’RE
SELF-DESCRIBED PROBLEM-SOLVERS.
WHEN THERE WAS A PPE SHORTAGE,
THEY USED 3D PRINTERS TO MAKE
FACE SHIELDS, DONATING 5,000 TO
HOSPITALS IN LOW-INCOME
NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY THEN MOVED ON TO COVID
TESTS, OFFERING THEM FREE IN
UNDERSERVED AREAS.
TOTALLY 20,000 OVER SEVEN
MONTHS.
ANDRE’S BULLDOG, WINSTON, RAN
SECURITY.
>> THEY STEPPED UP.
THEY SAID, OKAY, WE’RE GOING TO
HELP.
WE’RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY
TO HELP.
>> Reporter: A LARGE, MASS
VACCINATION SITE WAS THE LOGICAL
NEXT STEP.
>> WE’RE DOING EVERYTHING NEW
SCHOOL.
NO PAPER.
ALL ELECTRONIC.
APPOINTMENTS ONLY.
THAT ALLOWS US TO MOVE PEOPLE
QUICKLY.
>> Reporter: THEY FOUND AN EASY
TO USE REGISTRATION SOFTWARE.
ENTER YOUR INFORMATION AND GET
NOTIFIED WHEN IT’S YOUR TURN.
THEN PICK A TIME THAT WORKS.
HOW DID YOU FIND THE
REGISTRATION PROCESS?
>> IT WAS SIMPLE.
>> TOOK ABOUT TWO SECONDS.
CLICKED THE LINK, PICKED THE
TIME I WANTED, AND ENTERED MY
INFORMATION.
GOT A TEXT, AND HERE I AM.
>> Reporter: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
ARE THE KEY THINGS THAT MAKE
THIS INNOVATIVE AND SUCCESSFUL?
>> IT WAS REALLY THE WHOLE IDEA
THAT WE TOOK THE ENTIRE MODEL
AND THREW IT OUT THE WINDOW.
WE SAID, TO HELL WITH ALL OF
THAT.
WE’RE GOING TO COMPLETELY BUILD
A NEW MODEL THAT’S BASED LIKE A
FACTORY. >> Reporter: INCLUDING AN
>> Reporter: INCLUDING AN
ASSEMBLY LINE OF SORTS FOR THE
SYRINGES.
NURSES FILL THEM AND OTHERS DO
THE VACCINATION.
THE ORGANIZATION TAPPED NURSING
STUDENTS TO ASSIST.
DO YOU SEE THIS MODEL AS
SOMETHING THAT OTHER CITIES AND
STATES CAN USE?
>> YES.
WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REACH OUT
TO US.
OUR ENGINEERS WILL TALK TO THEIR
ENGINEERS, AND WE WILL MAKE SURE
THAT OUR MODEL IS AS TRANSPARENT
AS POSSIBLE.
>> Reporter: SO YOU’RE GOING TO
SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE?
>> WE WANT TO GET OUT OF THIS
PANDEMIC.
>> Reporter: FOR NEWLY
VACCINATED VASQUEZ, WHO WORKS AT
A CHILDREN’S CRISIS CENTER, THE
END OF THE PANDEMIC CAN’T COME
FAST ENOUGH.
>> TO HAVE THEM SEE OUR FACES IS
GOING TO BE AMAZING.
I’M HOPING IT’S NOT TOO LONG.
>> Reporter: GETTING VACCINES
OUT QUICKLY AND EFFICIENCY IS
KEY.
>> MY GRANDMOTHER DIED OF COVID
EARLIER THIS YEAR, SO IT’S KIND
OF BITTERSWEET.
SORRY.
AND I’M JUST REALLY HAPPY.
>> Reporter: SUCH AN EMOTIONAL
EXPERIENCE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
PHILLY FIGHTING COVID PASSED THE
TEST THE TWO DAYS WE WERE THERE.
ANOTHER ONE TODAY AND TOMORROW,
THEY’RE VACCINATING 2,600
PEOPLE.
THE OBSTACLE LOOKING FORWARD
RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY OF
PHILADELPHIA REALLY IS GOING TO
BE THE SUPPLY.
ALSO WORTH NOTING, THEY
VACCINATED HEALTH CARE WORKERS
THAT DAY THAT AREN’T AFFILIATED
WITH HOSPITALS.
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF PEOPLE
THAT CAN SLIP THROUGH THE
CRACKS.
LARGELY PEOPLE OF COLOR.