captioning sponsored by cbs i'm margaret brennan, and this is "face the nation." officially under way. the very first pfizer vaccine left a factory in kalamazoo easterly sunday. it is just the first step in a staggering logistical operation, expected to go well into 2021. >> d-day was the beginning of the end, and that's where we are today. >> brennan: celebrating that victory, president trump took in the annual army-navy game in person, attempting something norma in a year that has been anything but. >> president trump: this is one of the greatest

scientific accomplishments in history. >> brennan: the challenge of convincing the roughly 75% of americans who need to take the vaccine in order to actually beat the virus will fall to his successo successor. >> i want to make it clear to the public, we should have confidence in this. >> brennan: and it will be months before the supply can fill the demand, months that tens of thousands of americans may not have unless they follow the plea to wear masks, social distance, and follow c.d.c. guidance. >> we're about to walk into the hanukkah surge and the christmas surge and the christmas week surge and the kwanzaa surge and new year's eve and new year's day. >> brennan: the number of covid-19 deaths, hospitalizations, and new infections continue to break records daily. medical providers are stretched to their limit, and hospitals are at our near capacity. >> this crisis that we have right now, the vaccine is not going to save us. >> brennan: we'll talk with health and human

services secretary alex azar, plus dr. scott gottlieb, and the head of hackensack meridian health, robert garrett. they'll start vaccinating frontline workers on tuesday. then, as the streets of washington fill up with protestors yet again, we'll tell you why so many trump sport his desperate efforts to overturn the results of the election. incoming white house senior advisor cedric richmond will join us to talk about that. it is all just ahead on "face the nation." ♪ >> brennan: good morning. and welcome to "face the nation." we begin with good news today. the first shipments of the covid-19 vaccine are on their way to those who will receive them first: frontline health care workers and elderly

nursing home residents. but at the same time, the death toll in the united states is closing in on 300,000, and c.d.c. director robert redfield warned on thursday we will probably have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or pearl harbor over the next 60 to 90 days. we begin this morning with cbs national correspondent mark strassmann in atlanta. >> reporter: code blue in minneapolis. its exhausted staff has a white-knuckle grip on hope. >> these people are dying alone. >> reporter: covid america's three major benchmarks get blec kier bleakey the day. deaths... >> over 8,000 people -- sorry. over 8,000 people who are

beloved members of their families, are not coming back. >> reporter: twice this week covid killed more than 3,000 americans in a single day. hospitalizations now at 108,000 patients and climbing. new mexico's overwhelmed hospitals now ration care, who is most likely to survive. one-third of americans live in areas critically short of i.c.u. beds. >> we have 60 patients holding in our emergency department who are waiting for beds inside the hospital. >> reporter: this california hospital converted its lobby into a covid ward. but there is no easy way to create more doctors and nurses, and many hospitals report running short of needed staff. here is why: new cases. they hit an all-time high on friday. more than 231,000 in a single day. >> the whole country is on fire. everybody is stressed. >> reporter: which brings us to where hope lives, rolling out the pfizer vaccine.

almost three million doses are shipping this weekend, bound for sub-zero freezers in all 50 states. injections will begin tomorrow for top-priority americans, high-risk health care workers who have battled the killer virus the last 10 months. >> we are not done until every america has access to the vaccine. >> reporter: but demand dwarfs supply. many hospitals have no idea when their vaccine shipment will show up or how much to expect. and this national inoculation will take time. predictions call for 100 million vaccinated americans by february. that's less than one-third of the country. margaret? >> brennan: mark, thanks. vaccinations are already under way in the u.k. cbs senior foreign correspondent liz palmer reports. >> reporter: good morning. as the u.s. prepares to start vaccinating its citizens, a program that began here in the u.k. on

monday in 50 hospitals, apart from a couple of temporary allergic reactions, has gone without a hitch. 90-year-old margaret keenan was first. with no report she suffered any side effects. >> it is just so strange and so wonderful, really. >> reporter: by the end of the week, tens of thousands had been done. the u.k. had asked retired nurses to return to work to help inoculate the initial batch of 400,000 people. first the very elderly, and also frontline medical staff. in place and working well is a complex transport system to keep the pfizer vaccine at sub-zero cold, until it is ready to be used. in asia, another vaccine is making its widespread debut. china's version, pairs the first load of a million doses arriving in indonesia, which has just suffered its most lethal

covid week. russia, too, is sharing its vaccine, and it arrived in serbia this week. the vaccines are good news, but global immunization is going to be a long, slow haul. meanwhile, as a masked and cautious europe heads into the holiday season, the virus is still spreading dangerously, even in countries like germany, which did well at the start. the infection rate there is so alarming that germany has announced today it back into a strict lockdown on wednesday that will shut schools and ban drinking in public. there have been some failures as well on the vaccine development front. a couple of promising trials, one australian and one anglo french were stopped this week because the vaccines had yielded disappointing results.

margaret? >> brennan: liz palmer, thank you. we want to go to alex azar at h.h.s. good morning to you, mr. secretary. >> good morning, margaret. >> brennan: "operation warped speed" told pfizer to ship out nearly three million doses and they'll vaccinate the workers at the hospitals. how many actual shots in the arm do you expect to have happen this week? >> we're shipping 2.9 million doses of vaccines, so whenever they get them in arms, that's 2.9 million -- >> brennan: do you expect there to be 2.9 million people receiving those doses this week? >> i didn't say this week. as soon as they're able to vaccinate. as the health commissioner in south carolina said, we'll be using this vaccine, not storing it, so i think it will go pretty quickly. >> brennan: i want to ask you something about cbs revealed. they said they're not going to start

vaccinating, even though they're receiving it this month, until december 21st because the trump administration told them to wait until that date. why is the trump administration asking nursing homes to wait? >> we're not actually asking the nursing homes to wait. we were able to have a really good discussion with c.v.s. leadership about this misunderstanding they had at the president's vaccination summit. i think we've got that all straightened out with them, and we'll be getting c.v.s. and walgreens vaccinating our nursing home people. almost 100% of the nursing homes have signed up -- >> brennan: when will that start then? >> it can start really any day. the vaccines are going out. as soon as they receive vaccine, this is according to the governors telling us to ship to them, we could have every nursing home patient vaccinated in the united states by christmas. it is a really remarkable, remarkable prospect for all of those of us with loved ones in nursing home, that we can approach christmas with some

initial protection already. >> brennan: certainly that 50,000 nursing home patients are getting infected, let's watch and see when those begin. over all, for the general population and these shipments, why the decision not to be more aggressive out of the gate? are you concerned that the governors who will be receiving and then in charge of distributing it, that the states aren't quite prepared? >> no, not at all. so we're being very aggressive. we're shipping all that we have. while we're holding back a reserve for the second dose. this is a vaccine that is labeled for two doses,. >> brennan: aren't there more than six million doses produced by pfizer? >> there are about 6.4 million doses, so we've held a reserve. it is important to keep a safety stock there. and so we're shipping 2.9 million doses going out. this is about measuring twice, cutting once. we're launching a very

complex, nationwide distribution program. do it right, do it measured, get the job done right. anticipate problems, and know there are going to be hitches and hiccups as we go, but this is a u.s. military that is running this operation. it is what they do. we're using the private-sector entities, as they said at the summit, this is what we do. and let's let them do their jobs. >> brennan: you still expect to vaccinate 20 million people, even though you just shipped out three million doses? >> sure. we are getting 12.5 million of moderna product that will ship out very soon there after. 20 million vaccinations this month, and we think we'll be up to 50 million total vaccinations of people by the end of january, and 100 million shots in arms by the end of february, just why the moderna and pfizer vaccines. >> brennan: you won't be in office then, but you believe a biden administration will be able to meet that mark? >> if they carry forward

with the plans that we've put in place, 100 million shots in arms by the end of february is very much in scope. >> brennan: i know you're relying on governors to oversee what happens with their constituents. if a state, though, is moving too slowly, will you claw back the vaccine that u.s. taxpayer money purchased? >> you know, i don't want to think about that type of a penal approach. we'll work with the states. we have dedicated teams that are working with the states -- >> brennan: can you do that, though? >> well, could we pull it back? i don't even want to talk like that. our governors are very competent. they know what is going on in their states. we've worked with them for 11months and planned for six months. we'll work with them to give them any tools they need to make this work. >> brennan: a lot of the governors have chimed in with this report that the national governors'

association released, raising concerns they're not getting enough support. in fact, they said they need $8.4 billion to be able to do this -- >> yeah -- >> brennan: isn't it the trump administration's responsibility to help get them the money to execute? >> well, margaret, we are getting them the money. to give you an example, new york state and new york city haven't drawn down a penny of the money we've made available for the vaccine distribution. i think we've had 1% of the monies drawn down. there is a bit of partisanship going on. let's be honest. we bought the vaccine. they don't have to pay for it. we are paying to distribute the vaccine. private payers are paying to administer it. we have set up programs with the farm pharmacies that distribute the vaccine. i've been in south carolina with the governor's team, and money is not the issue. they've got very good plans -- >> brennan: this is a bipartisan group, as you

know, that says they need the money. 12 states say they need more data and they're waiting on information from the government on distribution. seven states are concerned about funding from the federal government. others say they need more federal coordination among the pharmacies to roll out to the long-term care facilities. why hasn't this been worked out? >> margaret, it has been worked out. there is a lot of partisan sniping going on. we ought to be celebrating the fact that we have millions and millions of doses of an affective vaccine going out. we've worked on all 64 health jurisdictions in this country, we have provided feedback back and forth. this is working. it will work. it is under control. we're leveraging the private distribution system that works every year for flu vaccines. d.o.d. c.v.s., fedex, what they

said on wednesday at the summit, this is what we do, let us do our jobs. >> brennan: the president signed an executive order on monday saying he would prioritize americans by not allowing the drug to be exported until after americans have been vaccinated. how is that going to work? are you going to seize supply? >> actually, the first part you referred to is always going to be the case. we're always going to make sure that the americans are getting vaccinated first with the fruits of "operation warped speed,",. >> brennan: are you going to stop pfizer from exporting our vaccine to the allies? >> we're going to ensure the vaccines distributed through the united states. we have 900 million doses under guarantee contract for the united states. we have total options for purchase of three billion doses. what the executive order says is we're going to make those surplus doses, and we're going to make that capacity available to our friends and allies

around the world. and the secretary of state and i are to build a plan to make that happen. that was the news out of that executive order. we're going to always be the leading global public health security country in the world supporting people. >> brennan: okay. so exports will continue. thank you, mr. secretary, for your update. and good luck. we will be back in justat one minute with more "face the nation." the nation." stay with us. [cheering and waving] ♪ [hip hop holiday music plays] ♪ ah, ah! woo! hold on a sec, hold on, hold on, hold on!

[gulping water] girl, we didn't even make it to the chorus! woo! that's a lotta dancing, ya'll. ohhh! [laughing] thought it was over! >> brennan: and we're back with cedric richmond. and he joins us this morning from tener, louisiana. good morning to you. >> good morning. how are you, margaret? >> brennan: i'm doing well. i want to start on the news of the day, and that has to do with these vaccines. april 29th will be 100 days in office for then president joe biden. he says he wants to deliver 100 million

vaccinations into the arms of americans by that date. what planning are you all doing now to change the trump administration's distribution system, or are you sticking with it? >> well, we don't know if we need to change it or not at this point. we've met a couple of times this past week with "operation warped speed," and we're getting up to date. but we still have more information to get from them and more information about their distribution plan. look, the one thing about president-elect biden is that he is honest and he is transparent. so what we don't want to do is mislead the american people, overpromise and underdeliver. that's why we're being as cautious as we can in our estimates of numbers, to make sure we're being frank and honest with the american people. >> brennan: the president-elect said he prioritized frontline workers and people in long-term care facilities and educators. are you going to leave it up to the governors, or

should teachers be mandated to take those shots? >> no. we're going to communicate with governors. look, one of the priorities for president-elect biden is to get schools back open and get kids into schools. and that means we're going to have to put resources in it, which is why the big deal from congress to help educational facilities and schools open up, which is important, making sure that the vaccines get to those teachers and students is important. and so it is one of our top priorities. >> brennan: okay. so you're not going to mandate teachers get vaccinated? >> well, i don't think we're going to mandate anything. bt what we're going to do is appeal to the american people to rise up to their civic duty, and let's all get on the same page. and that's still to be determined, but we'll see what happens. >> brennan: okay. you, in your new role in the biden administration,

have described as being a conduit for outreach to republicans. two-thirds of the republican conference, including your friend, congressman steve scalise, have supported this failed effort by texas to get the supreme court to try to overturn the results. he says he still supports the president's attempts to do so. if two-thirds of the republican conference doesn't recognize joe biden's victory as the president-elect, how can you do business with them? >> they recognize joe biden's victory. all of america recognizes joe biden's victory. this is just a small portion of the republican conference that are appeasing and pa patronizing the president on his way. when it is time to governor, if republicans won't meet us half way, we'll go to the american people and continue to push our agenda. this country is in far too much turmoil, and this

pandemic, the economic aspects and health aspects, really calls for america to get on one page, solve this crisis and start to move forward. we're not going to let him slow us down. >> brennan: you don't take it seriously? >> no, i don't. they say one thing privately and another thing publicly. the one thing i will tell you is they realize he lost this election. >> brennan: the president-elect's son, hunter biden, revealed he is the target of a tax-related investigation by the u.s. attorney in delaware. unless president trump's justice department clears hunter biden of wrong-doing before leaving office, it will be presented as a question for the biden administration's justice department, as to how to proceed with the inquiry. should a special counsel be appointed to remove any questions about propriety here? >> we won't make any comment on that. what i will say

emphatically is that president-elect biden has said over and over during the campaign and saying now, he wants an independent department of justice. unlike what we've had for the last four years. and he will trust that department of justice to do their job. he is not going to meddle with the department of justice. hunter biden issued his own statement, and i think the statement speaks for itself. >> brennan: so remaining independent, does that suggest that the incoming attorney-general, whoever that person is, should they recuse themselves from this case? >> i'll let the incoming attorney general decide. that is not my expertise. it is my opinion they should be independent, the department of justice should be independent, and we will go from thre.

>> brennan: any timeline on when we might hear who that a.g. will be? >> i absolutely can't tell you. i can't get into the president-elect's mind about when he is going to role out his remain cabinet members. >> brennan: okay. i want to quickly ask you, there was violence again in washington, d.c., antifa was also present, according to our reporters. are you concerned about this kind of violence around the inauguration? >> well, look, we're concerned about violence anywhere, and especially as we go into the holiday season, the stress continues to mount up on our families. but, look, we want to be clear that where there is violence and concern, it is not protests, that is breaking the law. peaceful protests are one thing, but breaking the law is another thing all together. so we are worried about it. >> brennan: all right. congressman, thank you for your time. we'll be right back with a

lot more "face the nation." stay with us. nation." stay with us.

i'm thinking i can become more marketable. you don't need to be a computer expert to be great at this. these are skills lots of people can learn. i feel hopeful about the future now. ♪

>> brennan: although "operation warped speed" is under way and the vaccine is coming, health officials are warning americans not to become complacent, especially over the holidays. you may be over the coronavirus, but the coronavirus is not over you. you. for the latest c.d.c. guidelines, visit cbs news.com.

>> brennan: we'll be right back with more on the pfizer vaccine rollout with the c.e.o. of meridian health, robert garrett, and dr. scott gottlieb joins us. stay with us. ♪ ♪ i got it all from you ♪ i'm always pushing through

♪ i know we'll make it to the finish line ♪ ♪ i know you're waiting on the other side ♪ ♪ i'm like you on-demand glucose monitoring. because they're always on. another life-changing technology from abbott. so you don't wait for life. you live it.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> week 14 i in the nfl. >> there is the quarterback of the tennessee titans come 8-4. he has 25 touchdowns, only five pass rushers. >> there is tua tagovailoa, he has won 4 of 5 s