Executive Order 13962: Ensuring Access to United States Government COVID-19 Vaccines
President: Donald J. Trump
Set a policy of prioritizing U.S. access to government-procured COVID-19 vaccines, with HHS and Defense coordination under Operation Warp Speed.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13962 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13962 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13962 do?
EO 13962 directed HHS to prioritize domestic access to federally procured COVID-19 vaccine doses and coordinate with Defense before supporting international access. Vaccines remained subject to FDA authorization and distribution logistics. GAO reported that Operation Warp Speed shipped about 12.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the United States by December 30, 2020 and providers reported administering about 2.8 million initial doses. Operation Warp Speed began before this order; GAO said distribution fell short of expectations and does not attribute all shipments to EO 13962 or establish fulfillment of its full domestic-priority policy.
Later primary evidence reviewed September 24, 2026: GAO reported that Operation Warp Speed shipped about 12.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the United States by December 30, 2020 and providers reported administering about 2.8 million initial doses. Operation Warp Speed began before this order; GAO said distribution fell short of expectations and does not attribute all shipments to EO 13962 or establish fulfillment of its full domestic-priority policy.
Before and after
Before the order
Operation Warp Speed was already operating with HHS and Defense before the order, and vaccines had not yet received FDA emergency authorization.
After the order
FDA authorized the first two vaccines in December 2020; HHS and Defense coordinated their initial domestic distribution, documented separately by GAO.
GAO reported that Operation Warp Speed shipped about 12.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the United States by December 30, 2020 and providers reported administering about 2.8 million initial doses.
Operation Warp Speed began before this order; GAO said distribution fell short of expectations and does not attribute all shipments to EO 13962 or establish fulfillment of its full domestic-priority policy.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| HHS Secretary, with Defense | Prioritize U.S. access to government-procured vaccine doses and develop an international distribution framework | Following authorization and available supply |
| HHS and Defense, with distribution partners | Distribute initial vaccine doses in the United States through Operation Warp Speed | December 2020 |
What happened next
Executive Order 13962 signed.
GAO reported that Operation Warp Speed shipped about 12.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the United States by December 30, 2020 and providers reported administering about 2.8 million initial doses.
Later primary evidence and its limits added to this guide.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The direction operated within existing vaccine procurement, public-health, FDA and appropriations law. It did not itself approve a vaccine or guarantee a dose to any person. Operation Warp Speed began before this order; GAO said distribution fell short of expectations and does not attribute all shipments to EO 13962 or establish fulfillment of its full domestic-priority policy.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 24, 2026. How we research →