By Erika Edwards - NBC News
The federal government unveiled its plans on Wednesday to distribute free COVID-19 vaccines from one day after an emergency use authorization or full approval is granted.
A program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) instructs state health agencies to create a vaccine planning committee made up of leaders from different community groups, such as health centers, hospitals, long-term care centers and pharmacies.
That program advises states to prepare for a limited supply of doses of coronavirus vaccines in the fall.
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It is not clear which vaccine will receive authorization first, as well as when data from clinical trials will be available for officials to review.
Still, the CDC informed states in August to prepare for a vaccine launch by November 1.
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"Our goal in Operation Warp Speed is that 24 hours after" a vaccine receives emergency clearance or full approval, it is forwarded to the administration for review, said Paul Ostrowski, who is in charge of logistics for the that operation during a call with journalists.
However, it is clear that supply will not meet demand, at least initially.
The plan calls for a vaccination campaign to begin gradually, either later this year or in January.
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CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the National Academy of Medicine and other organizations are working to determine who should be first on the list to receive the vaccine.
Healthcare workers, other essential employees, and people at high risk for serious illnesses will likely have the highest priority.
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The Trump Administration faces a complex set of logistical problems in meeting its vaccination goals.
The first is figuring out how to track when people get their vaccine and what vaccine they get.
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Two of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in phase 3 trials, Pfizer and Moderna, require inoculating patients with two doses given 21 or 28 days apart.
"We have to be able to tell the person when it is time to return for the second dose," Ostrowski explained.
Also, the second dose must be from the same manufacturer because they are not interchangeable.
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And although doctors' offices, hospitals, health departments and pharmacies have their own databases to track patients, "the difficult part is getting them to communicate with each other," Ostrowski said.
States and local communities will have to design precise plans within a month to receive and distribute vaccines, some of which will require special handling, such as refrigeration or freezing.
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Such detailed coordination is like "air traffic control," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
"It's about making sure everything comes together at once," according to Osterholm.
That includes giving vaccines to people who need them and making sure they understand what is known about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
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Health officials "will be absolutely obligated to educate the public."
The vaccine itself is expected to be free.
Patients will not be charged out of pocket for the vaccine administration, thanks to billions of dollars in taxpayer funds approved by Congress and allocated by the Trump Administration.
