Vice President Mike Pence made a stop in Memphis Thursday (December 3) to discuss Operation Warp Speed and the coronavirus vaccine distribution plan with local and state leaders. Gov. Bill Lee and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland met Pence who was joined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
During the roundtable discussion, Pence said that while the pandemic is not over, the potential vaccines are providing a ray of hope.
"With cases rising across the country, we are still going through a challenging time," said Pence. "Help is on the way. We are just days away from being able to distribute a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine."
Tennessee is one of four states chosen to test the delivery method of the Pfizer vaccine, which is likely the first to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The first shipment to the Volunteer State will contain 56,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, Tennessee Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said, followed by 100,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine. Frontline workers will be the first to receive a vaccine, WMC 5 reports.
A challenge facing the country, CDC Director Redfield said, is seeing if Americans will want to get the vaccine. However, Wendy Long, CEO of the Tennessee Hospital Association, views vaccines as a step in the right direction for the country.
"Vaccination is the key to reducing the stress on our hospital system and reviving our economy," said Long.
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