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u.s. news Diasabra 9 Januari 2021

With virus surging, Biden to speed release of COVID vaccines

(AP) — With COVID-19 Biden announced his plan
surging and vaccinations after eight Democratic gov-
off to a slow start, Presi- ernors wrote the Trump ad-
dent-elect Joe Biden will ministration on Friday urg-
rapidly release most avail- ing it to do as much.
able vaccine doses to pro-
tect more people, his of- “The federal government
fice said Friday, a reversal currently has upwards of
of Trump administration 50% of currently produced
policies. vaccines held back,” the gov-
ernors wrote. “While some
“The president-elect believes of these life-saving vaccines
we must accelerate distri- are sitting in Pfizer freezers,
bution of the vaccine while our nation is losing 2,661
continuing to ensure the Americans each day, accord-
Americans who need it most ing to the latest seven-day
get it as soon as possible," average. The failure to dis-
spokesman T.J. Ducklo said tribute these doses to states
in a statement. Biden “sup- who request them is uncon-
ports releasing available dos- scionable and unacceptable.
es immediately, and believes We demand that the federal
the government should stop government begin distribut-
holding back vaccine supply ing these reserved doses to
so we can get more shots in states immediately.”
Americans’ arms now.”
Biden’s plan is not about the federal government take aggressive vaccination cam- needing their second dose. The letter was signed by
cutting two-dose vaccines a stronger role to make sure paign, with greater federal Biden will make broader use Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of
in half, a strategy that top that vaccines are not only involvement and leadership of a Cold War-era law to di- Michigan, Gavin Newsom
government scientists rec- available, but that shots are and the goal of administering rect private industry to sup- of California, Laura Kelly of
ommend against. Instead, it going into the arms of more 100 million shots in the first ply materials for vaccine pro- Kansas, J.B. Pritzker of Illi-
would accelerate shipment of Americans. 100 days. duction, should that become nois, Tim Walz of Minneso-
first doses and use the levers “The Trump administration necessary, his office said. ta, Andrew Cuomo of New
of government power to pro- plan to distribute vaccines is He said he and Vice-Pres- Former Food and Drug Ad- York, Jay Inslee of Washing-
vide required second doses in falling behind—far behind,” ident elect Kamala Harris ministration head Mark Mc- ton, and Tony Evers of Wis-
a timely manner. Biden said. “If it continues to have been talking with state Clellan said he agrees with consin.
move as it is now, it’s going and local leaders about a Biden's decision, but the in- With the winter wave of the
The Trump administration to take years, not months, to coordinated approach that creased supply of vaccines pandemic pushing deaths to
has been holding back mil- vaccinate the American peo- meshes the efforts of govern- has to be coupled with steps record levels, and hospitals
lions of doses of vaccine to ple.” ments at all levels. Among to get shots actually adminis- overwhelmed in cities large
guarantee that people can get the specifics: opening up vac- tered to people. and small, some have called
a second shot, which pro- The American Hospital As- cination centers and sending on the government to autho-
vides maximum protection sociation estimates that the mobile vaccine units to hard- “We're holding back more rize using just one dose of the
against COVID-19. Both the nation would need to vac- to-reach communities. doses than we really need Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Pfizer-BioNTech and Mod- cinate 1.8 million people a “The top thing is that there’s to,” McClellan said in an in- That would indeed confer a
erna vaccines require a sec- day, every day, from Jan. 1 to not a coordinated national terview. But “this needs to boost of immunity.
ond shot after the first vac- May 31, to reach the goal of plan,” Biden adviser Dr. Rick be combined with steps to
cination. One-shot vaccines having widespread immunity Bright told The Associated increase the administration However, government scien-
are still undergoing testing. by the summer. That's also Press. Bright has a doctoral of vaccines, or it won't make tists including Dr. Anthony
A recent scientific analysis in called “herd immunity” and degree in immunology. much difference.” McClel- Fauci have said the vaccines
the journal Annals of Inter- would involve vaccinating at The Biden transition office lan, who served under for- should continue to be used as
nal Medicine estimated that least 75% of the population. said its experts believe that mer Republican President prescribed under their emer-
a “flexible” approach roughly Without spelling out details, pushing out available vaccine George W. Bush, now leads a gency approval by the FDA.
analogous to what Biden is Biden said his administration as fast as possible will not health policy center at Duke The two-shot regimen pro-
talking about could avert an will put in place a much more create problems for people University. vides around 95% protection.
additional 23% to 29% of More than 365,000 Ameri-
COVID-19 cases when com- cans have died as a result of
pared to the “fixed” strategy the pandemic, according to
the Trump administration is data from Johns Hopkins
following. That’s assuming a University. The seven-day
steady supply of vaccine. average positivity rate for the
After a glow of hope when nation has continued to rise
the first vaccines were ap- since Christmas, and stood at
proved last month, the na- 13.6% on Thursday, accord-
tion's inoculation campaign ing to the COVID Tracking
has gotten off to a slow start. Project. That's well above the
Of 21.4 million doses distrib- 10% rate considered a marker
uted, about 5.9 million have of widespread contagion.
been administered, or just
under 28%, according to the Biden spokesman Ducklo
Centers for Disease Control said the president-elect will
and Prevention. share additional details next
Biden has already indicat- week on how his adminis-
ed his displeasure with the tration will engage the pan-
progress of vaccinations. In demic when he takes office
a speech last week, before his on Jan. 20.
election victory was certified
by Congress, the president- Biden's plan to change the
elect said he intends to speed vaccine distribution plan was
up vaccinations by having first reported by CNN.