Pentagon, FEMA to set up vaccine sites in Texas, New York

Up to 3,700 active-duty troops are on standby to administer COVID-19 vaccines at Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sites, with an eye on locations in Texas, New York and the Virgin Islands.

Several hundred service members have already been sent to FEMA sites in Los Angeles and Oakland, Calif., with more sites to be set up in Texas and New York in roughly a week, followed by the Virgin Islands in early March, U.S. Northern Command head Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck told reporters on Tuesday.

Up to 3,700 troops “are allocated to prepare to deploy,” VanHerck said. “They haven’t been given a tasking to deploy at this time.”

The goal is to administer millions of vaccines to areas hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.

VanHerck said that by Feb. 24, an Air Force team will be sent to Houston, an Army and Marine Corps team to Dallas, a Navy team to the New York City borough of Queens, and an Air Force team to the New York City borough of Brooklyn.

The Pentagon is still finalizing plans with FEMA for two vaccination sites in the Virgin Islands, one in St. Thomas and one in St. Croix, to be set up “about the 1st or 2nd of March,” VanHerck added.

FEMA in late January asked the Defense Department to help with President Biden’s goal of vaccinating 100 million people in the first 100 days of his presidency.

The Pentagon has so far authorized 25 military teams, a combined total of 4,700 active-duty service members, to help FEMA at state vaccination sites.

U.S. Northern Command has requested up to 100 teams in total, meaning roughly 18,000 troops could potentially administer 400,000 doses a day if all teams were used.