Vaccination Effort Slowly Ramps Up

Mass vaccination sites are being opened in cities across the country as hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients near their breaking point. NBC's Wendy Woolfolk reports.

(NBC News) — With many hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients at their breaking point, mass vaccination sites are being set up at sports stadiums and arenas across the country.

California health officials hoping to inoculate 5,000 people per day by the end of the week at the San Diego Padres Tailgate Lot.

“They will drive in, they will roll down their windows, a nurse will come and give them the vaccination, an observer will watch them for 15 minutes to make sure that there is no reaction,” explains Patty Maysent of UC San Diego Health.

The incoming Biden administration is considering distributing stockpiled medication nationwide so more people could get their first shot of the two-dose vaccine.

“I think we can be pushing out more vaccine right now given the fact this is the most critical part of the epidemic, and take a little bit of risk that there could be a delay in the second dose,” says former FDA Commissioner and Pfizer board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb.

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