U.S. makes COVID-19 vaccine plans

The federal government will contract with the drug company Pfizer to deliver 100 million vaccines to Americans as soon as they are developed, President Donald Trump revealed in a Wednesday news conference. An additional 500 million vaccines would arrive in a later wave as part of “Operation Warp Speed.” The president also announced a $5 billion grant to nursing homes to battle the coronavirus outbreak among the nation’s elderly.

What else did Trump recommend? He did not institute a federal mask-wearing mandate, but for the second day in a row, he urged Americans to wash their hands and wear face coverings. The president also blamed the recent spike in COVID-19 cases on widespread demonstrations, excessive holiday gatherings, and a simultaneous rise in Mexico. He said governors would have to decide whether schools would open in the fall. “I would like to see the schools open,” he added.

Dig deeper: Read WORLD medical correspondent Dr. Charles Horton’s analysis of the U.S. government’s race to find a COVID-19 vaccine.