Vaccine Distribution Among Top Challenges Facing Biden
While Joe Biden is hours away from being sworn in as the next president, his team is already coping with the noncentralized pandemic response strategy inherited from the Trump administration. A prime example: New York wants to buy vaccine directly from Pfizer.
CNBC:
Biden Covid Advisor Challenges Cuomo's Letter To Buy Vaccine Directly
President-elect Joe Biden’s Covid Advisory Board member Dr. Celine Gounder slammed the Trump administration’s piecemeal Covid response as some states across the U.S. scramble to get the vaccine doses they need. “I think we’ve already had too much of a patchwork response across the states,” Gounder said in a Monday evening interview on “The News with Shepard Smith.” ... On Monday, Cuomo sent a letter to Pfizer asking if the state of New York could buy vaccines directly from the company. Last week, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made a similar request to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. Gounder told host Shepard Smith that this approach could cause more problems than it solves. (DeCiccio, 1/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
New York Seeks To Buy Vaccines Directly From Pfizer
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday asked Pfizer Inc. if it would sell its Covid-19 vaccine directly to New York state, to help alleviate a shortfall of federally allocated doses that he blames on the Trump administration. In a letter to Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Albert Bourla, the Democratic governor said he was appealing to the company directly after Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar failed to deliver on a commitment to increase the doses to New York state. (Carlton and West, 1/18)
In other news about President-elect Joe Biden —
The New York Times:
Biden Will Kick Off Inaugural Events At A Ceremony Honoring Victims Of Covid-19
President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will arrive in the nation’s capital on Tuesday evening for an inauguration eve ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool honoring the nearly 400,000 people who have died during the coronavirus pandemic that will be his first priority after he is sworn in the next day. The somber remembrance will kick off two days of in-person and virtual events as Mr. Biden takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, becoming the 46th president of the United States at a time of economic struggle and cultural upheaval in the wake of President Trump’s four years in the White House. (Shear and Thrush, 1/18)
Stat:
Biden To Mobilize FEMA, National Guard To Ramp Up Vaccine Distribution
President-elect Biden’s newly released vaccine distribution plan promises to dramatically increase the number of vaccination sites in America by mobilizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard, relying on low-income community health centers, and pharmacies around the country. Biden unveiled the plan in a Friday afternoon speech in which he doubled down on his long-stated goal: Administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office. (Florko, 1/15)
The Hill:
Biden Inherits Big Challenges From Trump On COVID-19 Vaccines
President-elect Joe Biden and his team are walking a tightrope with their coronavirus vaccine plan, rolling out an ambitious strategy while also tempering expectations as to how quickly it can be enacted. Biden’s plan, officially announced Friday, is a sweeping proposal aimed at dramatically increasing the federal involvement in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. (Weixel, 1/17)
KHN:
Biden Terms Vaccine Rollout ‘A Dismal Failure’ As He Unveils Pandemic Response Plan
In the past 24 hours, President-elect Joe Biden has delivered two speeches focused on the nation’s covid response. Thursday night, he laid out a $1.9 trillion-dollar plan to address what he’s calling the “twin crises” of the covid-19 pandemic and the economy. (Knight, 1/15)
