MEMPHIS, Tenn. (NewsNation Now) — Vice President Mike Pence and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee were in Memphis Thursday for a roundtable discussion on the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The discussion was opened by Frederick Smith of Memphis-based FedEx.
Pence highlighted FedEx’s role in helping to distribute the vaccine as part of the government’s Operation Warp Speed plan to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.
The FDA is in the process of approving two vaccines for the virus, as Pfizer and Moderna have both submitted their candidates for emergency use authorization, with the FDA set to meet to discuss approval for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 10.
“Help is on the way,” Pence said in Memphis, noting he believes the country is just days away from distributing millions of doses of vaccine across the country. The CDC is recommending how to distribute the vaccine, but Pence said state leaders like Lee would have final approval.
Tuesday, the CDC U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 13 to 1 to recommend giving priority to health care workers and nursing home patients in Phase 1, when doses are expected to be very limited.
Tennessee health officials say the state is expecting to receive 56,550 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in its first allocation in mid-December.
NewsNation affiliate WREG contributed to this report