Amid Hope for Pfizer Vaccine, States Grapple With Distribution
President-elect Joe Biden’s proposal for $25 billion in aid may come too late for state efforts
A Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. may be on the horizon, but the cost of distributing vaccines across all 50 states and who will pay for that operation remains a huge stumbling block.
What is clear is that much of the financial burden and logistical challenge of getting a vaccine to people has fallen on the shoulders of state governments.
President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to invest $25 billion in manufacturing and distributing vaccines. And federal support has already bolstered state budgets this year as the pandemic hit tax revenue. But with some of those dollars already set to expire in coming months, further stimulus stalled in Congress since summer and approval of Biden's plan far from certain, additional money might not reach states until a distribution campaign is well underway.