On Your Mark, Get Set: Vaccine Suppliers Prepare For Big Moment
Meanwhile, HHS chief Alex Azar said Wednesday that the Trump administration is confident it has enough contracts with companies to ensure adequate doses of the COVID vaccine for all Americans.
NPR:
'Kind Of A Chess Game': For States, Distributing COVID-19 Vaccine Poses Myriad Hurdles
The first COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. could get authorized for emergency use in a matter of days. But for state health officials, any excitement over any potential breakthrough is tempered by an overwhelming logistical test: distributing a vaccine to millions of Americans. Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, said there's "no shortage of challenges" for the people charged with planning the vaccination rollout for their state. (Bowman, 12/9)
The Hill:
Azar Dismisses Concerns Of COVID Vaccine Supply Shortages
The Trump administration's top health official on Wednesday dismissed concerns over the potential for a "vaccine cliff" once initial supplies of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are exhausted. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the administration is confident that it has enough contracts with other companies to make sure there are enough doses of a vaccine for all Americans. (Weixel, 12/9)
NPR:
DOD Unveils Its Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution Plan
The Department of Defense aims to administer just under 44,000 doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine within 24 to 48 hours of authorization for emergency use. U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials have said they will make a decision soon after they hear from an advisory committee which meets Thursday. The vaccine will be distributed through 16 DOD installations, 13 in the U.S and three overseas. The facilities selected are in California, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington, director of the Defense Health Agency Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place said in a news conference Wednesday. (Jones, 12/9)
Bloomberg:
Renergen Patents Helium-Cooled Cases For Coronavirus Vaccines
South Africa’s Renergen Ltd. has patented cryogenic cases that can keep vaccines at ultra-cold temperatures for 30 days, a potential way of getting some of the first coronavirus shots to be approved to remote areas, said Chief Executive Officer Stefano Marani. Renergen’s design uses helium to keep the vaccines at between minus 70 and minus 150 degrees Celsius without the need for a power supply, Marani said in an interview on Wednesday. It could be used to transport inoculations to remote parts of Africa and Southeast Asia, he said. (Prinsloo, 12/10)
In related news —
AP:
AP-NORC Poll: Only Half In US Want Shots As Vaccine Nears
As states frantically prepare to begin months of vaccinations that could end the pandemic, a new poll finds only about half of Americans are ready to roll up their sleeves when their turn comes. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows about a quarter of U.S. adults aren’t sure if they want to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Roughly another quarter say they won’t. (Neergaard and Fingerhut, 12/9)
The Hill:
States Push Back On CDC Demand For Personal Data Of COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients
State officials are balking at requests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the personal data of residents receiving the coronavirus vaccine. The CDC has asked states for cooperation on data-use agreements, under which they would share personal registry information with the federal agency. The request has been met with pushback from some states, which have warned the data could be misused. (Budryk, 12/8)
Detroit Free Press:
Yes, Michigan Employers Can Legally Mandate COVID-19 Vaccines
With companies like Ford and GM taking concrete steps to be prepared to distribute the vaccine, the moves raise questions about whether companies can require that employees get a vaccine. "Although the current COVID situation is new, this isn't a new issue for employers," said Maria Dwyer, a managing member of Clark Hill’s Detroit office and a labor and employment attorney. Dwyer said it's been well established under the law that employers can mandate vaccines. (Roberts, 12/10)
North Carolina Health News:
When Vaccines Come To Prisons, Should Staff Be Priority?
A future COVID-19 vaccine is coming to North Carolina’s prisons – and staff will be first in line to get it. But that prioritization is contentious. Under the state’s tentative plan, prison staff and high-risk incarcerated people will be first to get shots. Thousands of remaining inmates, the majority of the prison population, will wait. (Critchfield, 12/9)
Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Prison Guards: We’d Rather Quit Than Get Coronavirus Vaccine
Some Nevada corrections staff say they would rather quit than be forced to take the COVID-19 vaccine, department officials told the state Sentencing Commission on Wednesday. In an update on the COVID outbreak’s impact on the state prison system, officials also told the commission they were working on draft legislation for the upcoming 2021 session that would compel inmates to be vaccinated, similar to a standing requirement that they submit to a test for tuberculosis. (Dentzer, 12/9)
