Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Weekly Vaccine Deliveries To Increase, While Makers Pledge Big Supply Bump
The New York Times: As Vaccine Production Ramps Up, The White House Announced The Weekly Supply For States Will Again Increase.
The White House said on Tuesday that weekly shipments of coronavirus vaccines to the states would rise by one million doses to 14.5 million, as vaccine manufacturers continue to ramp up production. The figure was provided to governors in a call with Jeffrey Zeints, the president’s coronavirus response coordinator, said Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, on Tuesday. With tens of millions of eligible Americans waiting to get shots, state officials have been clamoring for more vaccine, saying health practitioners could easily double or triple the number of shots they are administering. (LaFraniere, Sanger and Bogel-Burroughs, 2/24)
The Hill: Biden Administration Increases Weekly Vaccine Shipment To States To 14.5M Doses
The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it is further increasing the weekly vaccine shipments the federal government sends to states. The White House’s COVID-19 response team announced that states will now receive 14.5 million doses starting next week, a jump from 13.5 million. (Axelrod, 2/23)
Factcheck.org: Biden's Misleading Vaccine Boasts
In remarks at a Pfizer manufacturing site, President Joe Biden made misleading claims while boasting about his administration’s progress in getting Americans vaccinated against COVID-19. (Robertson, Kiely and Gore, 2/23)
Newsweek: Biden Administration Has Achieved Nearly 50% Of COVID Vaccination Goal, Data Shows
President Joe Biden's administration has nearly reached half of its goal to administer 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses during his first 100 days in office, according to new data. The data, which was released by the Brown University School of Public Health, shows that approximately 49,555,542 COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered, which equates to 49.6 percent of Biden's goal, as he has spent slightly over a month in office. (Impelli, 2/23)
Pfizer, Moderna and other manufacturers vow to boost supplies —
AP: Drug Executives: Big Jump In Vaccine Supply Is Coming Soon
COVID-19 vaccine makers told Congress on Tuesday to expect a big jump in the delivery of doses over the coming month, and the companies insist they will be able to provide enough for most Americans to get inoculated by summer. By the end of March, Pfizer and Moderna expect to have provided the U.S. government with a total of 220 million vaccine doses, up sharply from the roughly 75 million shipped so far. “We do believe we’re on track,” Moderna President Stephen Hoge said, outlining ways the company has ramped up production. “We think we’re at a very good spot.” (Perrone and Neergaard, 2/23)
CNN: Pfizer, Moderna, J&J Pledge 240 Million Total Covid-19 Vaccine Doses By The End Of March
Executives from each of the vaccine makers, along with executives from AstraZeneca and Novavax, testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on Tuesday. A fourth Covid-19 vaccine could become available in the US in April, when AstraZeneca could secure FDA authorization of its vaccine. Dr. Ruud Dobber, the executive vice president and president of AstraZeneca's biopharmaceuticals business unit, said the company will immediately release 30 million doses upon authorization of the vaccine and up to 50 million doses by the end of April.(Bonifield, 2/23)
In related news about Novavax —
The Wall Street Journal: Novavax Nears Covid-19 Vaccine Game Changer—After Years Of Failure
Novavax is advancing toward authorization of a Covid-19 vaccine. Scientists believe that, if cleared, it could be one of the more powerful weapons against the pandemic, offering key possible advantages over its competitors. Some early data suggest the Novavax shot may be one of the first shown to stem asymptomatic spread of the coronavirus and also potentially provide longer-lasting protection. If the two-shot regimen is authorized, Novavax will still face the challenge of making and distributing it in large quantities. The firm sold some manufacturing assets in 2019 when it was desperate for cash. (Zuckerman and Loftus, 2/23)
