EXPLAINER: How will US make more shots available by May 1?

President Joe Biden's promise that all of the nation's 255 million adults will be eligible for coronavirus vaccines by May 1 means the U.S. needs to move fast.

Within the next seven weeks, the federal government must deliver doses to hundreds of new vaccination sites and recruit a new wave of health care workers to administer the shots.

Simply distributing the vaccines will not be enough, though. The government also aims to simplify the often-frustrating sign-up process and bring shots to communities that are having the hardest time getting vaccinated.

Here's how public health officials intend to meet the president's deadline and the challenges that lie ahead.

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WHAT WILL HAPPEN MAY 1?

That's the date that Biden wants states to make all adults eligible for the vaccines, but it does not mean everyone will be able to get a shot immediately or even soon after. White House officials expect enough doses to be available for everyone by the end May. How quickly the shots are given will depend on establishing hundreds of new vaccination sites and other distribution points. Some states will move at a faster pace. Michigan's governor said Friday that all adults will be eligible for vaccines beginning in early April. Alaska this week became the first state to open up to anyone 16 or older.

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IS THE GOAL REALISTIC?

The May 1 goal is reasonable, and the administration may be using it to urge states and communities to prepare to administer a lot more vaccine, said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a former FDA deputy commissioner and a Johns Hopkins professor.

“The problem is, if you’re just waiting to see how much vaccine you have before you schedule the clinic, then you’re building in a lot of delays,” he said.

“To say, ‘Look, we’re going to be able to vaccinate everyone,...