It’s Oct. 31st – Where’s the Vaccine, Mark?

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Sept. 17 stood outside the executive mansion and told the American people that Donald Trump’s administration was aiming to have 100 million doses of a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine ready to be distributed by the end of October.

Chief of Staff Mark Meadows says WH aiming to have 100 million doses of Coronavirus vaccine ready to go by end of October. Says goal is to make the the most vulnerable and highest risk people are vaccinated in that first group. Says up to 300 million doses would be ready in Jan. pic.twitter.com/7YHttsd5au

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 17, 2020

As with many of the promises Meadows and his boss have made with regard to the pandemic, that’s not happening. Twitter hasn’t forgotten.

'Where is It?' Mark Meadows Promised 100 Million Vaccine Doses by End of October, and Twitter Hasn't Forgotten https://t.co/jUVy7S3Qmt

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) October 31, 2020

Most medical experts, a group that does not include the former North Carolina congressman, now say a COVID-19 vaccine most likely won’t be ready for even limited distribution until the beginning of 2021. Trump, of course, keeps telling people at his superspreader campaign rallies that its availability is imminent and is proof that “we’re round the corner” in dealing with the pandemic.

Not only are they not delivering on the promise of having a vaccine available by tomorrow, Nov. 1, Trump and Meadows have not developed a plan to actually deliver a vaccine to the American public once it’s been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Trump’s administration has asked states to provide it with their priorities on who should receive the first available doses of the vaccine and where, geographically, the vaccine needs to be shipped.

But states are struggling with the request because there is no indication that federal financial support will be forthcoming to pay for the expensive, complicated undertaking.

“It is absolutely ridiculous that the administration, after spending $10 billion for a Warp Speed effort to develop a vaccine, has no interest in a similar investment in a Warp Speed campaign to get the vaccine to every American as quickly as possible after it is approved,” said Michael Fraser, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.