President Trump on Thursday said he would use the US Military to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, with older Americans being the first recipients.
This is a clever move, as it ensures quick and efficient distribution while utilizing a federal resource (meaning the states won’t have to pay). It’s also great PR for the military and for President Trump.
“You know it’s a massive job to give this vaccine,” said Trump Thursday on Fox Business Network. “Our military is now being mobilized so at the end of the year, we’re going to be able to give it to a lot of people very, very rapidly.”
The Administration’s goal is to amass 300 million vaccines by the end of the year, though top COVD-19 experts do not believe a vaccine will be ready at that time.
To date, there have been more than 4.4 million COVID-19 infections and roughly 300,315 deaths. More than a third of those deaths occurred in the United States.