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Local Chief Medical Officer Calls CDC's Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution Plan 'Encouraging,' But Concerns Remain

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The CDC has put out its playbook on how to distribute a coronavirus vaccine.

"It's encouraging to hear some high-level planning," says Dr. John T. Sullivan, Chief Medical Officer at St. Clair Hospital

First, the vaccine must be shown to be safe and effective.

"We still don't know a great deal about some of the phase 3 trials," Dr. Sullivan says, "Even [vaccines] with established safety profiles, there have been some concerns in the community."

Healthcare workers, first responders, and other people at high risk for coronavirus may be first in line.

Defining high-risk will be a big job, as many people see themselves in this category.

"Many more than you might anticipate initially," says Dr. Sullivan, "It may not be the individual, it might be my 89-year-old father who lives with me, my wife is pregnant, my husband's had colon cancer."

The CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield says this first round may happen in January. But there won't be enough for the general public until next spring or summer.

"All of us recognize this was going to be a long haul in managing this pandemic," says Dr. Sullivan.

Immunization procedures could be clunky. Vaccine vials will need refrigeration. People will need two doses, 3 to 4 weeks apart.

Locally and regionally, an existing vaccine will provide a practice run.

"We're going to give a strong push for the influenza vaccine this fall, we're going to use that as a template for broader distribution of the subsequent COVID vaccination," Dr. Sullivan says.

But will people take it?

"There's always been more skepticism in the American community than in the broader world community about vaccines," says Dr. Sullivan, "I think people understand with nearly 200,000 Americans dead from this, and many more hospitalized...the risk of COVID is real."

To get the country ready, the CDC director says it will take $6 billion in new funding.

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