- FEMA has requested help from the Defense Department in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine.
- The Pentagon is considering the request and could send thousands of troops to help.
- FEMA is setting up 100 vaccination sites nationwide in an effort to speed up distribution.
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The Department of Defense may send active-duty troops to help operate the federally funded community vaccination centers set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, The New York Times reported.
FEMA is set to build about 100 of the facilities nationwide, including in sports stadiums and school gyms, by the end of President Joe Biden’s first month in office. The sites are part of the administration’s attempts to speed up the COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
FEMA, which is within the Department of Homeland Security, submitted a request to the Defense Department Wednesday for help with distributing the vaccine.
“The department is evaluating the request, and what kinds of support it can provide. Given the significance of the request, it will be reviewed urgently but carefully to determine what DOD assets can safely be made available to support the effort,” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said, according to CNN.
Read more: Here’s what you need to know about Joe Biden’s plan to get to 100 million vaccines in 100 days
The Department of Defense is “actively considering” sending troops who could help with building the sites and administering the vaccine, an advisor to Lloyd Austin, the secretary of defense, told The Times.
Discussions on how the military can help are ongoing, but CNN reported up to 10,000 troops, which could include active duty and National Guard forces, could be sent to the vaccine sites.
The efforts are all part of Biden’s plan to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in office, as states have struggled to manage distribution.
Earlier this month, Biden announced his $1.9 trillion “America Rescue Plan,” which included more than $400 billion to go towards combating the coronavirus pandemic and about $20 million specifically for the national vaccine distribution program.
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