After almost a year of fear, loss, and isolation, finally there is a distant light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. As of this morning, there are just about 4.66 million people in the United States who have received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to numbers from the CDC. That's the first dose. But while there is at least something to celebrate, there is also concern that vaccines are being distributed at a snail's pace.

Federal officials had promised that by the end of 2020, at least 20 million people would have received their initial dose. The actual count is far, far less.

This hour on the Sound of Ideas, we'll start by hearing from a front-line health worker who is about to receive his second dose. Then, we'll talk to Ideastream health reporter Lisa Ryan about what the holdup with Ohio's vaccine distribution, which is lagging, could be.

And even though it's 2021 we'll return to the seemingly never-ending news regarding the election of 2020, with two political analysts. We'll focus on how the Georgia runoff results, which we hope to have tonight, will impact control of the U.S. Senate and, as a result, the Biden presidency.

Guests:
Dr. Joseph Khabbaza, pulmonary and critical care physician, Cleveland Clinic
Lisa Ryan, health reporter, Ideastream
Tom Sutton, Ph.D., professor of political science, Baldwin Wallace University
Katie Lavelle, Ph.D., professor of world affairs, Department of Political Science, Case Western Reserve University