Anjalee Khemlani·Senior Reporter
Wed, February 17, 2021, 2:14 PM
The U.S. federal government continues to increase state allotments of vaccine doses, even as winter weather slows down shipments and delays appointments, especially in Texas where power outages are ongoing.
States should expect a total of 13.5 million vaccines next week, an increase from 11 million this week, with additional shipments directly to pharmacies and federally qualified health centers.
Meanwhile, the country awaits Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) vaccine authorization, which could come as early as the end of the month. But even with hopes pinned on the one-shot dose, White House COVID-19 Response Team coordinator Jeff Zients said Wednesday there won't be a sudden surge of vaccines available.
"There is not a big inventory," Zients said, adding that only a few million of the 100 million promised will be available by the end of June.
Zients said the administration is working with the company to determine how to ramp up production. Unlike the existing vaccines, J&J's is not based on a new technology and can likely use existing infrastructure.
•••••
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has begun to set up more vaccine sites and is staffing them with active military in a partnership with the Department of Defense. FEMA is designating small sites as those capable of completing 3,000 vaccinations per day, and larger sites handling double that amount. Large sites in New York and Texas have opened, and smaller ones in New Jersey and the U.S. Virgin Islands are planned, officials said Tuesday.
•••••
"What (President Joe Biden) inherited was not enough supply, not enough vaccinators, not enough places for vaccinations to happen. Communities had been left to fend for themselves. And so, that's what he's been focused on and working on," Psaki said.
•••••
No comments:
Post a Comment