Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The White House COVID-19 Response Team said Tuesday it plans to start a program next week to deliver more vaccines to targeted groups in needy areas.
Jeff Zients, President Joe Biden's coronavirus coordinator, said the administration met with a group of governors earlier Tuesday to discuss what states need to fight the pandemic.
Zients said the administration will begin the Federally Qualified Health Center program next week to send vaccine doses directly to community health centers.
"President Biden is taking additional steps today to speed up vaccinations across the country," the White House said.
"We are providing a suite of tools to local leaders," said Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, co-chair of the Response Team.
"We will start with a phased approach that will ramp up over time."
Nunez-Smith said the program's aim is to reach 250 federal licensed community health centers.
"[This] really is about connecting with the hard to reach populations across the country."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 42 million coronavirus vaccines have been administered nationwide so far.
Zients added that since Biden took office, the federal government has increased its vaccine distribution to states by more than 2 million doses per week, and will increase supplies to states this week by 5%.