Fact check: Operation Warp Speed official discussed vaccine distribution, not mandatory vaccinations

Camille Caldera, USA TODAY
·3 min read

The claim: Official with Operation Warp Speed said 'All of America must receive the vaccine within 24 hours of distribution'

After coronavirus vaccine candidates from Pfizer and Moderna showed up to 95% efficacy, officials from Operation Warp Speed, the White House-led initiative to quickly develop COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, provided an update about their efforts to assist with vaccine production and distribution.

Army Gen. Gustave F. Perna, the chief operating officer for Operation Warp Speed, provided extensive information about vaccine distribution plans at a panel on Nov. 18.

Full footage of the update is available from the Department of Defense and C-SPAN.

Erin Elizabeth – an author and public speaker is also known as "Health Nut News" –posted a one-minute clip of his remarks on Facebook and Instagram.

"All of America must receive the vaccine within 24 hours of distribution – there is no have and have Nots," she wrote, quoting the video.

Elizabeth added that she is "not a fan" of Operation Warp Speed, and "not too thrilled" about the idea of mandated coronavirus vaccines.

Breana Janel also posted a short clip of the panel on Facebook, highlighting phrases that Perna uttered, including "All of America must receive."

"Nope... don't like that," she wrote.

Elizabeth and Janel have not responded to requests from USA TODAY for comment.

Fact check: Melatonin could help against COVID-19, but more studies are needed

Comments were in reference to immediate vaccine access and 'equitable distribution,' not mandatory vaccination

The posts both emphasize the quote, "All of America must receive the vaccine within 24 hours of distribution."

But Perna was not referring to mandated vaccination – or even receiving the vaccine on an individual level.

He was talking about the importance of quickly distributing the vaccine to each of the nation's 64 jurisdictions – including the 50 states, eight territories and six major metropolitan areas.

"Distribution will occur from our fill-finish site and will go to all 64 jurisdictions that we are responsible to ensure they get vaccine for within 24 hours. Everybody – every jurisdiction – will have access immediately," he explained.

At the end of his remarks, Perna summarized his previous points and shared what he told his team are the "two things we must have."

That's when he said the quote in the posts.

"One, upon emergency use authorization, aIl of America must receive vaccine within 24 hours, as I said," he said. "I think this is incredibly important – fair and equitable distribution of the vaccine throughout the country simultaneously.

"There is no ‘haves’ and ‘have nots,'" he continued. "It is an equitable distribution, and we are driving hard to make sure that happens."

In context, he is clearly talking about the necessity of quick and fair vaccine distribution across America, not mandating vaccines.

At this time, neither President Donald Trump nor President-elect Joe Biden has called for mandatory coronavirus vaccination, per USA TODAY.

Fact check: Dolly Parton helped fund Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine research

Our rating: Missing context

Based on our research, the claim that an official with Operation Warp Speed said "All of America must receive the vaccine within 24 hours of distribution" is rated MISSING CONTEXT, because without additional context it is misleading. It's a bona fide quote from Army Gen. Gustave F. Perna – but his comments were in reference to the necessity of immediate vaccine access and "equitable distribution" across the nation, not mandatory vaccination.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Post on Operation Warp Speed official is missing context

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Dow Jones Futures Rise After Market Rallies Again; Tesla Soars As Elon Musk Touts 'Affordable' EV, Robotaxi

    The rally attempt is gaining steam. Tesla soared as Elon Musk said "affordable" EVs will come in 2025 and touted robotaxis.

  • Avalanche roll past Jets 5-2, head home with series tied 1-1

    WINNIPEG — Alexandar Georgiev paid back his Colorado Avalanche teammates for believing in him. Georgiev had a bounceback game Tuesday, making 28 saves to help the Avalanche earn a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets that tied their first-round NHL playoff series at a game apiece. “They showed so much support to me over the last couple of days. A very rough first game, obviously,” said Georgiev, who allowed seven goals on 23 shots in Winnipeg’s 7-6 Game 1 victory on Sunday. “I just felt so much tr

  • Q1 2024 MSCI Inc Earnings Call

    Q1 2024 MSCI Inc Earnings Call

  • Prabowo vows to fight for all Indonesians, calls for unity among political elites

    Indonesia president-elect Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday vowed to fight for all Indonesians and called for unity among political elites to take the country forward, as he seeks to strengthen his parliamentary clout ahead of taking office in October. Speaking at a ceremony where he was being confirmed as the winner of the Feb. 14 election, Prabowo, who won by a huge margin, said he was talking to elites in the country and it was vital parties could get along together for the common good. Prabowo, who was tacitly backed by popular incumbent Joko Widodo, is seeking to broaden his coalition in the new parliament and is in talks with parties who backed his election rivals.

  • Sky Turns Orange as Dust Storm Hits Greece

    A dust storm filled Greek skies in an orange haze on Tuesday, April 23, as a dust storm moved through the region, the director of the country’s National Meteorological Center said.Footage filmed by Evgenia Linos shows reduced visibility in Athens.The director of the National Meteorological Center, Theodoros Kolydas, announced the concentrations of Saharan dust would significantly decrease in Greece on Wednesday. Credit: Evgenia Linos via Storyful

  • Why isn't Crystal Palace vs Newcastle live on TV in the UK today?

    Eagles host Magpies looking to extend winning run

  • Spain sees US-style economic boost from immigrant workers

    Achieving her career ambitions in Spain has proved remarkably easy for Sara Hernandez, a systems architect from Venezuela who found her skills were in hot demand when she arrived in Madrid. Spain may have Europe's highest unemployment rate but moving to Madrid in 2021 after seven years in Chile, where she worked in less qualified positions in IT, she was surprised how seamless it was to find work. "This is where I've been able to fulfil my goal of becoming a systems architect," Hernandez, 36, told Reuters.

  • Allen and the Cavaliers visit Orlando with 2-0 series lead

    Cleveland Cavaliers (48-34, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (47-35, fifth in the Eastern Conference)Orlando, Florida; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Magic -1.5; over/under is 198.5EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Cavaliers lead series 2-0BOTTOM LINE: The Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference first round with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Cavaliers won the last matchup 96-86 on April 22 led by 23 points from Donovan Mitchell, while P

  • New York takes 2-0 lead into game 3 against Philadelphia

    New York Knicks (50-32, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (47-35, seventh in the Eastern Conference)Philadelphia; Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE 76ers -4.5; over/under is 204EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Knicks lead series 2-0BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks visit the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference first round with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last meeting 104-101 on April 22 led by 24 points from Jalen Brunson, while Tyrese

  • Nuggets take 2-0 lead into game 3 against the Lakers

    Denver Nuggets (57-25, second in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (47-35, eighth in the Western Conference)Los Angeles; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDTBETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Nuggets -1.5; over/under is 216WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Nuggets lead series 2-0BOTTOM LINE: The Denver Nuggets visit the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference first round with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Nuggets won the last matchup 101-99 on April 23 led by 27 points from Nikola Jokic, while Anthony Dav

  • FTSE 100 Live 23 April: Another record close amid interest rate cut hopes, Tesla results in focus

    The FTSE 100 index set a new intraday high this morning after recording an all-time record close last night. Today’s top performing London stocks are Primark owner AB Foods after a strong update and JD Sports Fashion following a US acquisition.

  • Polestar may use US plant to sell cars to Europe as EU-China tension rises

    Chinese-backed Swedish electric vehicle (EV) maker Polestar Automotive is preparing to shift production of cars it plans to sell into Europe to its U.S. plant from China in view of rising geopolitical tension, its CEO said. Asked how Polestar is preparing for a European probe into Chinese-made EVs possibly leading to increased tariffs, Thomas Ingenlath said the automaker is exploring the idea of exporting the Polestar 3 made in South Carolina to the European Union. Polestar builds the majority of its cars in the Chinese cities of Chengdu and Taizhou.

  • Russian attack injures six people in Ukraine's Kharkiv, governor says

    The attack damaged three residential buildings, two offices, three non-residential buildings and a gas pipeline in the central district of the city, according to the governor's statement. The city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, told Ukranian TV that two S-300 missiles were used in the attack but did not cause significant damage to the residential areas of the city. Russia's RIA state news agency reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources within Russian forces, that their attack hit soldiers' quarters in Kharkiv where Ukrainian military personnel were stationed.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt closes campus after pro-Palestinian protesters take over building

    Cal Poly Humboldt has closed its campus through Wednesday after pro-Palestinian protesters barricaded themselves inside a building.

  • Q1 2024 Cadence Bank Earnings Call

    Q1 2024 Cadence Bank Earnings Call

  • LSEG shareholders to vote on doubling CEO's potential pay

    London Stock Exchange Group shareholders will vote on Thursday on whether to potentially double the pay of CEO David Schwimmer, after the 300-year old bourse campaigned to raise executive rewards to strengthen UK capital markets. LSEG's annual general meeting will vote on proposals to allow Schwimmer's total yearly remuneration to rise to up to 13.063 million pounds ($16.14 million) from 6.25 million pounds. Executive compensation at Britain's top companies has drawn shareholder anger in recent years, with most critical of a widening gap between average worker earnings and CEO pay.

  • Consumer Reports Found 'Alarming' Levels of Pesticides in US Produce

    It offered a few solutions too.

  • Q1 2024 RLI Corp Earnings Call

    Q1 2024 RLI Corp Earnings Call

  • A moment that changed me: joyriders destroyed my van in New Zealand – which led to a lovely life in London

    Without the van, my husband and I had no urgent reason to live in Wellington. The short European adventure we had planned soon became much more

  • Elaha review – sex, patriarchy and second-generation identity

    A seriously intentioned drama about a young Kurdish woman who feels she has to surgically ‘restore’ her virginity before her wedding