"U.S. Likely Will Miss Goal Of Vaccinating 20 Million By The New Year"

"Snowstorms, holidays, and general inexperience in handling a pandemic response is to blame for a "lag" in the number of Americans so far vaccinated for the coronavirus, according to U.S. officials.

The federal government previously estimated 20 million Americans would receive the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine by the end of the year. But as 2020, a year defined by the coronavirus pandemic, comes to a close on Thursday, the government appears set to fall well short of that goal.

U.S. Army General Gustave F. Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, and Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief advisor to federal vaccine effort, said the U.S. has deployed around 14 million vaccine doses as of Wednesday, but only 2.1 million people had received shots. Perna and Slaoui spoke on Wednesday during a news conference.

The vaccination process started on Dec. 14 with frontline health workers getting the shots first."

Jaclyn Diaz reports for NPR December 31, 2020.

SEE ALSO:

"Shots Are Slow To Reach Arms As Trump Administration Leaves Final Steps Of Mass Vaccination To Beleaguered States" (Washington Post)