Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'We Should Have Done Better' On Vaccine Distribution, Fauci Says
CNN: Dr. Fauci Says US Should Have Had Better Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout
The United States could and should have done a better job of rolling out coronavirus vaccines, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said Wednesday. Federal officials have been struggling to explain why, when they promised 20 million vaccines would have been given to people by the end of the year, only 5.3 million people have been vaccinated nearly a week into the New Year and fewer than 20 million vaccines have even been distributed. (Maxouris and Fox, 1/7)
The Hill: CVS Aims To Finish First Round Of Nursing Home COVID-19 Vaccinations By Jan. 25
CVS is on track to finish giving the first of three rounds of COVID-19 shots in nursing homes across the country by Jan. 25, the company said Wednesday. The Trump administration is partnering with CVS and Walgreens to inoculate nursing home residents and staff against the coronavirus. The campaign launched Dec. 21, and is now underway in 49 states and the District of Columbia. (Weixel, 1/6)
Modern Healthcare: HHS To Distribute $22 Billion To Aid COVID-19 Testing, Vaccination
HHS will dole out more than $22 billion to states and local jurisdictions by Jan. 19 to support COVID-19 containment and lagging vaccination rollouts, the federal government announced Wednesday. More than $19 billion will aid testing, contact tracing and other mitigation efforts as well as $3 billion to boost vaccination campaigns. "We're making these billions in new funds available to states as quickly as possible to support our combined efforts to end the pandemic," HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in prepared remarks. (Kacik, 1/6)
In related news on the vaccine rollout —
The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine Rollout At Nursing Homes Encounters Fewer Residents, Reluctant Staff
Hesitancy on the part of long-term-care-facility staffers to receive Covid-19 vaccinations is slowing the rollout of the shots to the nation’s nursing homes and assisted-living centers, CVS Health Corp. said Wednesday. Another factor driving lower-than-anticipated rollout numbers: Initial estimates by the facilities overstated the number of people living in them by about 20% to 30%, CVS said. During the pandemic, families have been reluctant to send relatives to nursing homes, which have been linked to more than 115,000 deaths. (Terlep, 1/6)
CNBC: What People Might Not Be Allowed To Do If They Don't Get Vaccinated
A perfect storm is brewing as Covid-19 vaccines start to roll out more widely in countries around the world. While many people can’t wait to protect themselves from the virus, some are adamant that they won’t get the jab, leaving populations divided into those that have been vaccinated and those that haven’t. ... As a result of the differing views, a debate could start to emerge in 2021. Should any restrictions be imposed on people who choose not to get vaccinated given they can catch and spread the virus? (Shead, 1/6)
The Wall Street Journal: Finally, A Use For The Old Sears: Covid-19 Vaccine Center
Americans are heading back to Sears, but not to shop. Public-health agencies and health-care organizations from Iowa to Florida are using some of the hundreds of closed Sears department stores to help with the nationwide effort to administer Covid-19 vaccines to millions of people. (Krouse, 1/6)
