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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 3 February 2021
Biden boosting vaccine allotments, financing for virus costs

By RICARDO ALONSO- ernment's top infectious-
ZALDIVAR and ZEKE MILLER disease expert, called on
Associated Press Americans to get vacci-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- nated as soon as they're
dent Joe Biden's adminis- eligible to prevent further
tration announced Tues- mutations of the virus. The
day that it is moving to ex- U.S. is tracking the spread
pand access to COVID-19 of potentially more virulent
vaccines, freeing up more and treatment-resistant
doses for states and begin- variants.
ning to distribute them to re- "Viruses cannot mutate if
tail pharmacies next week. they don't replicate," Fauci
The push comes amid new said. "And if you stop their
urgency to speed vaccina- replication by vaccinating
tions to prevent the spread widely and not giving the
of potentially more serious virus an open playing field
strains of the virus that has to continue to respond to
killed more than 445,000 the pressures that you put
Americans. on it, you will not get muta-
Starting next week, 1 million tions."
doses will be distributed to The U.S. government has al-
some 6,500 pharmacies In this March 17, 2020, file photo, Pharmacist Evelyn Kim, wears a mask and gloves at the CVS ready starting working with
across the country, the pharmacy at Target in the Tenleytown area of Washington. vaccine manufacturers
White House said. The ad- Associated Press on potential booster shots
ministration is also boosting to enhance protection
by 500,000 the weekly allo- nient trusted places to get to a slow start, he added, is ease Control and Preven- against the variants.
cation of vaccines sent di- vaccinated in their com- that states lacked their own tion was "making sure that Biden's move to allow for
rectly to states and territo- munities," he added. infrastructure for mass vac- we are picking pharmacies an additional $3 billion
ries for the coming weeks, The number of participat- cinations. in that first phase that are to $5 billion in retroactive
up to 10.5 million. It is allow- ing pharmacies and the The partnership with drug- located in areas that are funding to state and local
ing state and local govern- allocation of vaccines are stores was originally an- harder to reach to ensure governments for reimburse-
ments to receive additional expected to accelerate as nounced by the Trump ad- that we have equitable ment of pandemic-related
federal dollars to cover pre- drug makers increase pro- ministration in November. distribution of the pharma- spending was expected
viously incurred expenses duction. The White House At that time, no coronavi- cy doses." Walgreens said to free up more money for
relating to the pandemic. said the ultimate goal was rus vaccines had been ap- it was selected in part to vaccine distribution.
Coronavirus coordinator to distribute the vaccines proved. Participating are "optimize vaccine access "States will be fully repaid
Jeff Zients announced the through more than 40,000 major chains like CVS, Wal- in medically underserved for things like masks, gloves
moves on a call with the pharmacies nationwide. greens and Rite Aid, big areas." and the mobilization of the
nation's governors Tuesday State and local guidelines box stores such as Walmart The 1 million doses being National Guard, and they
morning and then detailed will determine who is eli- and Costco, and supermar- shipped to pharmacies will can use the additional re-
them to the public in an af- gible to get a shot at their ket pharmacies. CVS said it be on top of the increased sources for vaccination
ternoon news conference. neighborhood pharmacy. will receive 250,000 doses allotments to states over efforts and emergency
Drugstores have become Availability will be limited at initially, to be distributed to the coming three weeks. supplies moving forward,"
a mainstay for flu shots and first. pharmacies in 11 states. The Biden administration Zients said.
shingles vaccines, and the "Getting it into pharmacies The pharmacy doses will has sought to increase cer- That is on top of additional
industry is capable of vac- is a viable approach," said be distributed to states by tainty to state governments assistance to state and lo-
cinating tens of millions of Dan Mendelson, founder population, but a priority on their upcoming alloca- cal governments from the
people monthly. "This will of the health care indus- will be to get the vaccine tions to streamline deliver- Federal Emergency Man-
provide more sites for peo- try consulting firm Avalere to minority communities ies and prevent stockpiling agement Agency already
ple to get vaccinated in Health. "The pharmacies that have suffered a dispro- of second doses for the authorized by the Biden
their communities," Zients know how to move people portionately high toll of dis- two-dose regimens. administration for them to
said. in and out." ease and deaths from the The Tuesday announce- stand up and support vac-
"This is a critical step to pro- Part of the reason the vac- virus, Zients said. ment comes a day after cination sites across the
vide the public with conve- cination campaign got off He said the Centers for Dis- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the gov- country.q

3 backcountry skiers missing after large Colorado avalanche

SILVERTON, Colo. (AP) — Three the debris, and one of them was sponders could temporarily call off ing to the Colorado Avalanche In-
backcountry skiers are missing af- found, suffering from minor injuries, the effort, San Juan County spokes- formation Center.
ter being swept up in a large ava- officials said. woman DeAnne Gallegos told The Elsewhere around the U.S. this win-
lanche in southwestern Colorado A search-and-rescue team was still Durango Herald on Tuesday. ter, three other people have died
and a search for them was under- trying to find the missing skiers Tues- Crews triggered avalanches to in backcountry avalanches in the
way on Tuesday, a day after the day morning after searching into help mitigate the danger, and nat- so far this winter, including two in
skiers disappeared. the night on Monday. ural slides also happened through- Utah and one in Wyoming.
The slide happened between the The avalanche was triggered on out the day. The avalanche information center
towns of Silverton and Ophir on a northeast-facing slope near Authorities have not identified the listed the northern San Juan Range
Monday in an area locally known treeline at an elevation of about skiers who were caught in the slide. in Colorado, where the latest slide
as The Nose, according to the 11,500 feet (3,505 meters) in eleva- At least four skiers have died in happened, as being a "consider-
Colorado Avalanche Information tion. Dangerous avalanche condi- earlier backcountry avalanches in able" danger for avalanches and
Center. tions in the area were hurting the Colorado so far this winter, most re- urged skiers going there to take
Four skiers were fully buried in search effort, and emergency re- cently in late December, accord- caution when finding routes.q