Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fauci Says Surge In Covid Vaccine Supplies Is Imminent
The Hill: Fauci Predicts High Schoolers Will Receive Coronavirus Vaccinations This Fall
Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, predicted on Sunday that high school students across the country will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines in the early fall of this year. “The tests are being done to determine both safety and comparable immunogenicity in high school students. We predict that high school students will very likely be able to be vaccinated by the fall term,” Fauci told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “Maybe not the very first day, but certainly the early part of the fall for that fall educational term,” Fauci continued. (Pitofsky, 3/7)
CBS News: Fauci Says Vaccine Supply Will Be "Dramatically Increased" In Weeks Ahead
Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, said Sunday that the number of vaccine doses available will sharply rise in the coming weeks following federal approval of a third coronavirus vaccine. "We need to gradually pull back [on restrictions] as we get more people vaccinated, and that is happening every single day, more and more people, and particularly as we get more doses, which are going to be dramatically increased as we get into April and May," Fauci said on "Face the Nation" of scaling back mitigation measures. (Quinn, 3/7)
Stat: Will The U.S. Have Covid Vaccine Doses For Everyone By The End Of May?
President Biden confidently declared last week that there would be enough Covid-19 vaccine delivered to the U.S. government by the end of May to vaccinate every American. But predictions about vaccine availability have repeatedly been proven wrong. How confident should Americans be this time? The short answer: somewhat. (Herper, 3/8)
KHN: Biden’s Criticism Of Trump Team’s Vaccine Contracts Is A Stretch
During a March 2 news conference on the covid-19 pandemic, President Joe Biden claimed that former President Donald Trump’s administration did not ensure there would be enough vaccines for the American public. “When I came into office, the prior administration had contracted for not nearly enough vaccine to cover adults in America,” said Biden. “We rectified that.” (Knight, 3/8)
In other news about vaccine supply and development —
Axios: Pfizer CEO: "It Will Be Terrible" If COVID Vaccine Prices Limit Access
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told "Axios on HBO" that it "will be terrible for society" if the price of coronavirus vaccines ever prohibits some people from taking them. Widespread uptake of the vaccine — which might require annual booster shots — will reduce the risk of the virus continuing to spread and mutate, but it's unclear who will pay for future shots or how much they'll cost. (Owens, 3/7)
Axios: Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Has Taken The Coronavirus Vaccine
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla tells "Axios on HBO" that he recently received his first of two doses of the company's coronavirus vaccine. Bourla told CNBC in December that company polling found that one of the most effective ways to increase confidence in the vaccine was to have the CEO take it. (Owens, 3/7)
KHN: Journalists Dissect Covid Vaccines And Variants
KHN correspondent Rachana Pradhan discussed vaccine production and supply chains on KERA’s “Think” with host Krys Boyd, C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” and PBS’ “NewsHour Weekend.” She also joined Newsy to discuss how federal rules restrict patients and their doctors from knowing whether someone has been infected by a covid-19 variant. (3/6)
