Millions of Americans are watching with anticipation as the first coronavirus vaccines are administered, but doctors advising President-elect Joe Biden are raising concerns that the timeline for widespread distribution may be longer than anticipated, NBC News reports.
The team of medical professionals advising Biden are warning internally that the program he will inherit from outgoing President Donald Trump may not live up to expectations of fast and widespread relief. Instead of mass distribution to the general population in the coming months, pandemic-fatigued Americans may find approval delays, distribution disruptions and insufficient quantities.
Getting the vaccine to every American who wants to be vaccinated could take six months or longer, Dr. David Kessler, a former FDA commissioner who has been advising Biden, said in an interview Wednesday on MSNBC.
It might not be until late summer or early fall before the vaccine begins to be widely available to the general public, said another physician close to the transition, who was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on background.
That is in contrast to the timelines being laid out by Trump administration officials, who have said the general public could start getting the vaccine in late February.
