The cautious approach comes as Biden’s team tries to speed up the distribution of vaccines as they grapple with questions about how many doses are unused in states, to help producers increase supply and explore options, such as a federal mass vaccination center .
The White House is expected to notify governors of the launch late Tuesday morning before announcing the plan shortly after noon. White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients is expected to press information session at 12:15 pm
The federal government has so far sent nearly 50 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to states, according to CDC data. More than 26 million people have received a first dose of Moderna or Pfizer’s vaccine, and nearly 6 million have been given their second dose since Monday.
The Trump administration announced last November that the federal government would partner with several independent pharmacies and chain pharmacies, including Albertsons, Rite Aid, Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Publix to administer Covid-19 vaccines. It is unclear whether doses will be sent to all pharmacies that have agreed to be part of the partnership.