His onetime rival Pete Buttigieg to lead the department of transportation which, by the way, has been coordinating with operation warp speed for Vaccine Distribution. One thing the d. O. T. Cant control, though, the weather. In a twist that is so 2020, theres now a noreaster threatening to snarl vaccine deliveries in our country by dropping up to two feet of snow. More on that in a moment. First, these are the facts on the pandemic. This morning the New York Times reports the Trump Administration is negotiating a deal to help pfizer produce tens of millions of more doses of his its vaccine. Thats noteworthy considering the government turned down an order to secure more doses back in november. A new way to fight the pandemic from your own home. The fda just gave emergency use authorization to the first overthecounter at home covid test. No sending samples to the lab. Results in as little as 20 minutes. Even with positive news like that, this sobering warning from the cdc which now projects 60,000 more americans will likely die from this virus in the next 2 1 2 weeks. We have our reporters spread out on different regions of our country covering this pandemic and the historic vaccine rollout thats under way. Right now in philadelphia, that impending winter storm could spell trouble for vaccine rollout efforts, even as the first doses are administered. The city is now making contingency plans for Vaccine Distribution that could include using the States National guard. Nbcs Vaughn Hillyard is at Thomas JeffersonUniversity Hospital in philly for us. This is going to be a problem all across the northeast, this vaccine rollout which is already, to say the least, logistically challenging, further complicated by a noreaster. How is this going to work . Reporter chris, today is the first day that vaccines are being distributed here in philadelphia. This is a moment when we need to acknowledge that up to six inches of snow are expected to hit here in philadelphia, but up to two feet in other parts of pennsylvania. The governor, as well as the Emergency ManagementAgency Director here in the state of pennsylvania, said the National Guard is on standby to help distribute the Pfizer Vaccines and potentially the Moderna Vaccines as we head into next week. These are the circumstances. We were just in this hospital to bear witness to the front line workers in philadelphia getting the vaccine. Talking with Jennifer Gill who is the very first nurse here, an er nurse who got that vaccine. After watching that, another nurse came up to myself and producer matt and said, i hope you guys understand the history youre watching here. She said she was an er nurse as well. In so many ways, that history that we talk about, chris, is the lengths to which humans are able to extend not only their own mortality but their hopes in the understanding of their own struggles. What youre bearing witness to is the worst these hospitals are seen. 113 individuals are on ventilators. There are more individuals in these hospitals with covid than at any point over the last year. This is the worst, today, that it has been. Thats why these vaccines are so important to the frontline workers in that hope this can be overcome. I want you to listen to part of my conversation with that nurse. Its difficult. Were seeing a higher acuity of patients, more patients come in. Were doing what we did in march. So we saw a surge of more patients coming in. Were trying to do our best. I definitely feel like theres hope now after this vaccine. Reporter thats why its so important. Its the frontline workers, those individuals with the National Guard, others across the state here, Business Owners over these next couple months here as we head to the winter in which this is the moment. The last nine months have been tough, chris, but its these months ahead that will be potentially dire here as these vaccines trying the best officials can to get them disseminated. Vaughn hillyard, thank you. Good to see you, my friend. Right now south dakota is one of the first states to vaccinate staffs at Nursing Homes and longterm care facilities, critical for a state that has the highest nursing home death rate in the u. S. Its a state with a lot of ground to cover. One hospital said its couriers log 11,000 miles a day trying to get supplies to rural health facilities. Nbcs dasha burns is at the Stanford Medical Center in sioux falls. Youve got an inside look at this twofold issue, vaccinating Health Care Workers now, but also getting the vaccine to the more rural parts of the state. What are you finding out . Reporter chris, thats absolutely right. We were here two weeks ago when we saw those freezers that had to be placed strategically across their facilities both in south dakota, and Sanford Health also covers north dakota and minnesota. A lot of ground to cover, as you said. 1. 2 Million People spread over an area the side of texas. So those cure years are going to be critical as the vaccine gets rolled out to the broader public. Here today, this is the first full day of vaccinations at sanford usd medical center. They started at 7 00 a. M. , going all the way to 7 00 p. M. Let me walk you through whats happening here. Katie is checking in the people who will get vaccinated, also making a second appointment for them. Remember, this is a vaccine that requires two doses. If you follow me here, theyve got four exam rooms where nurses are vaccinating people about every five minutes. Four people getting vaccinated every five minutes. I think weve got a vaccination about to happen here. This is deb and her colleague tony in the room here vaccinating tracy, a nurse here, who has seen a lot, as so Many Health Workers have. There it goes. Tracy, how did that feel . Pretty good. Are you doing all right . Doing great. Reporter after tracy finishes up in there, hes going to come and walk into the waiting area because this is also a vaccine that requires 15 minutes for monitoring just in case anyone has any side effects from the vaccine. All these folks you see here both on this side of the room and here on this side of the room, they have just gotten vaccinated. How are you feeling . Feeling great . Chris, here with me, i have connie dehahn who just got vaccinated. Your entire family is in the medical field. Youre the first one to get this vaccine. What are you telling the folks at home . Its thumbs up. So excited to be part of this revolutionary vaccine. Its going to change the world. Covid has impacted every one of us. Were getting through it, but the world is going to go back to somewhat normal. Such a simple, simple act to get this vaccine and impact everybodys lives around us. Considering everything that you and your colleagues have seen that youve gone through over the last nine months, what did that moment feel like for you today . Just being december, i think its joy to the world. Couldnt be more perfect timing. A Little Christmas present for everyone. Absolutely. Connie, thank you so much. Reporter chris, a lot of join here today. As ive been talking to the folks waiting in this area, its amazing how many stories ive heard of people who have lost loved ones, nurses who say they currently have family members on ventilators. Theres a bittersweet sense of joy and hope, but also guilt because they want to see this for everyone. These frontline workers have been going through so much. Their message is, theres a vaccine, yes, but this is absolutely not the time to let up. In fact, its a time to hunker down and do everything you can to protect yourself and your loved ones as we go through the holiday season. The best way you can honor folks is to do exactly that. Dasha burns, thank you for walking us through it literally and figuratively. Now the question is how to convince everyone to get the shot. Pew Research Found that 71 of africanamericans either know someone hospitalized or killed by covid. Fewer than half say theyre willing to take the vaccine. Blayne alexander is in atlanta outside the Morehouse School of medicine. This is a big hill to climb. Whats being done right now to try to repair the distrust, the understandable distrust of vaccines among black americans . Reporter a lot of that work is being done here and in places like this. This facility, Morehouse School of medicine was chosen as a vaccine test site in large part because of the schools ability to attract a Diverse Group of participants. Thats absolutely key. Thats why they want to make sure there are people of all race, gender, all backgrounds represented in these trials. There are two facts in this. One, the fact that while the country has been devastated by covid19, black americans have been hit especially hard, by almost every metric, when you look at death, hospitalization, unemployment, all those numbers are disproportionately higher. The other fact, unfortunately, is there are many people who simply dont trust this vaccine. Thats for a number of reason, chris. Ive spoken to a number of people who say they want to make sure theyre represented in these trials, to make sure preexisting conditions that are common among the Africanamerican Community like hypertension, high blood pressure, things like that, they want to make sure thats factored into the trials as well. The other thing is theres history here, a deep seeded history that goes back generations of africanamericans being used for medical experiments dating back to slavery. There are two people i want to introduce you to working to change that perception. Ashley neely is a 33yearold woman who signed up to be part of pfizers vaccine trial. And the other is dr. Nicole peoples who says when it comes to restoring trust, its a twoway street. I wanted to make sure the vaccine is effective on africanamericans. If we dont have enough people participating in the trial, when the vaccine comes out, we could be in the same boat. Oftentimes the burden is placed on black people to trust more. It really is important that the community is out here instilling or gaining trust of the communi community. Reporter chris, one final thing thats important that ive heard from people reporting the story is the issue of representation, making sure that patients are able to look at doctors and health care professionals, nurses, and see people who look like that. Thats certainly a crucial part, one thing a lot of people are taking into consideration and making a priority when it comes to the vaccine rollout. Blayne alexander, thanks for reporting. Lets start on this issue of trust, doctor. So far, none of the thousands of Health Care Workers who have gotten the vaccine report serious side effects. Early recipients talk about a sore arm which many of us gotten when weave gotten other vaccines. Do you think positive experiences will be the best ammunition in convincing skeptics to get the shot, and what else needs to be done . I think when people know other individuals who have gotten vaccinated and seem to be doing fine, offer no complaints, that does help people on the fence. There are people that are vaccine hesitant or even anti vax. Full transparency needs to be out there. We have to set the tone of this debate, not allow the anti vaccine movements or the conspiracy theorists set all the turns that were on the defensive for. Ive been trying to dissuade people theres not nano bots that are going to communicate with people in these vaccines. We know there are even Health Care Workers that hold these views. This is going to be something thats very hard to do. Im looking forward to having my arm sore in a couple days when i get my vaccination. I dont blame you for that. I thought i was beyond being shocked by some of the numbers that came out. The cdc is predicting up to 362,000 deaths in this country by january 2nd. That means about 60,000 more lives in just over two weeks. How worried are you about this possibility . I think its going to come to fruition. We know this virus is spreading unabated in many parts of the country. Were worried about Hospital Capacity on a daytoday basis just like we were back in new york in march. This is something i dont see an easy end to. The vaccine is a great light at the end of the tunnel. Its not going to have an impact on what happens in the next couple months. Its up to us to change our behaviors. I dont see that happening. I have to work tonight in the hospital. I know its going to be busy with covid patients. It seems to be almost kind of an endless storm of them that continue to come. I dont see an easy solution. Were muddling through this in the United States just like we have been since january of last year. I think we are going to see more deaths as we get through this hard winter season. Let me ask you about something brand new and how it fits into the solution. The fda announced the first athome, overthecounter covid tests. How helpful could this be in stopping the spread . I think there was a pretty strong number of folks we saw who have said they just have trouble getting tested or getting the results back within a timely manner. So could this be, if not a gamechanger, at least a step in the right direction . Its definitely a step in the right decks. This doesnt require a prescription. Its rapid. It gives you a result that you can interpret through an iphone app. It is something that weave been advocating for a long time, that people need to be empowered, to know their status. So they can know what activities they can and cant do. Unfortunately is going to cost about 30, so its going to be out of the reach of many people. We want High Frequency testing. This is a stepdown that road. Hopefully well get there. I hope it has an increased uptake. This is one way to reduce the harm of the virus. We needed this months and months ago. Im glad that finally were seeing it come to fruition. I hope that it can have an impact in the face of really what is an enormous pandemic that were facing in the United States right now. Dr. Amesh adalja. Thank you for all you do. Good luck when you go in tonight, another night facing just an unbelievable challenge for all you folks in the medical profession. In about 30 minutes we expect president elect joe biden to introduce his former rival Pete Buttigieg, he could be the first openly gay cabinet secretary if confirmed by the senate. Finally, optimism from capitol hill where congressional leaders say theyre closer and closer to a deal on covid relief after all these months of delays. Ill talk to a Family Doctor in kansas who ha is about to get the Covid Vaccine herself. Now she has an even bigger task, convincing skeptics in her town to get it, too. The need has always been there. This year, it just happens to be greater. We have to find somethingust else. Good luck ut it. What does that mean . We are doomed. [ laughter ] thats it. I figured it out were going to give togetherness. That sounds dumb. Were going to take all those Family Moments and package them. Hmm. [ laughing ] that works. Right now covid is a small town horror stories. Thats a quote pointing out the coronavirus has been spreading out of control in seven out of every ten rural counties. In just the last hour, midland, michigan, a town of 42,000 people received the vaccine. Its now triggering a critical operation there to get those doses out to even smaller hospitals and towns in that region. Nbcs ellison barber is at mid michigan medical center, one of the pre description sites with more on what happens. I want to know what youre seeing now, ellison. This is something we talked about from the very beginning, how do we get the vaccine outside of major urban areas. What are you seeing . Reporter things have been moving very fast in the last 30 minutes. They got that shipment from the u. P. S. Truck, moved to it the pharmacy and started the process to get this out to other communities. You said it. The thing that is tricky here is we know this Pfizer Vaccine needs to be stored at negative 94 degrees farenheit. If we walk this way, ill show you what theyre doing here. For the vaccinations that will take place in midland today, they have those in this cooler. Theyre getting the syringes out and getting things ready to vaccinate people here. The other thing theyre dealing with is they need to get this vaccine to other communities, Rural Communities that are further away and dont have that vaccination type of storage container, if you will. What we saw earlier, they got the vaccine, rushed it to the pharmacy. And then they took out doses they needed to thaw. Not only this site from rural sites further away. They have three minutes to take those vials out and repackage them in a soft blue cooler to get it ready to go. Were right here in midland, northeast michigan has been hit really hard by covid19. Were in midland right now. They got the vaccines here. Now the plan is theyll vaccinate Health Care Workers in this area but start distributing to all these other places. Later today theyll have a doctor take a soft cooler with some of the vaccines and drive two hours to al pena so they can vaccinate Health Care Workers in this area and take doses of the vaccine so they can go further out to the other rural areas and get more Health Care Workers vaccinated. Weve been talkin