Health officials worry nation not ready for COVID-19 vaccine Public health departments, which have struggled for months to test and trace everyone exposed to the novel coronavirus, are now being told to prepare to distribute COVID-19 vaccines as early as Nov. 1Public health departments, which have struggled for months to test and trace everyone exposed to the novel coronavirus, are now being told to prepare to distribute COVID-19 vaccines as early as Nov. 1. The investigation further found that federal coronavirus funds have been slow to reach public health departments, forcing some communities to cancel essential services. Although public health officials say they need help, Congress left Washington for its summer recess without passing a new pandemic relief bill that would include additional funding for vaccine distribution. Experts expect many public health departments to struggle to adequately track who has been vaccinated and when, because a lack of funding in recent decades has left them in the technological dark ages. Meanwhile, health departments are dealing with vaccine registries that sometimes date to the late 1980s.

Source: ABC News September 02, 2020 14:03 UTC