President-elect Joe Biden is prioritizing the reopening of K-8 schools and addressing the economic fallout during his first 100 days in office.

He also aims to distribute 100 million vaccine shots – inoculating 50 million people – during that time, indicating he’ll invoke the Defense Production Act to compel companies to produce vaccine materials and PPE. 

To accelerate the nation’s vaccination rate, the Biden White House COVID-19 Response team will include supply chain experts to provide guidance. They’ll work with struggling local and state authorities–who have administered just a fraction of the 15 million doses sent to states— to develop a comprehensive distribution strategy. 

The president-elect inherits a vaccine rollout marred by persistent misinformation, a continued lack of public trust, and a bureaucratic backlog under President Trump, who has frequently downplayed or disregarded the CDC’s recommendations and disputed the staggering coronavirus death toll. 

Biden has also requested all Americans wear a mask during his first 100 days, declaring mask-wearing is “not a political statement. It’s a patriotic duty” in contrast to Trump’s skeptical rhetoric. 

He will require mask-wearing in federal buildings and during interstate travel.