Multiple U.S. Decision-Making Entities Complicate Task Of Allocating Coronavirus Vaccines

Priority setting of health care services and technologies in limited supply isn’t easy in the best of times. It’s even harder during a pandemic. In the case of Covid-19, multiple, sometimes competing, decision-making entities at the federal, state, and local levels may complicate the task of allocating coronavirus vaccines once they become available.

Several coronavirus vaccines in development have demonstrated encouraging results in Phases I and II, and have now begun Phase III. If all goes well, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval may ensue by the end of the year for one or more vaccines. It’s also possible that the FDA will issue an emergency use authorization at some point this fall, prior to potential approval.