Elected President Joseph R. Biden jr. Plans to release almost all available doses for coronavirus vaccination ‘to ensure that the Americans who need it most get it as soon as possible’, a sharp interruption of the Trump administration’s practice of to stop the vaccine, the Biden transition team said Friday.
“The president-elect believes we need to accelerate the distribution of the vaccine while continuing to ensure that the Americans who need it most receive it as soon as possible,” said TJ Ducklo, a spokesman for the transition team , said.
“He supports the release of available doses and believes that the government should stop halting the vaccine supply so that we can now get more shots in the Americans. He will share additional details next week on how his administration will start releasing available doses when he takes office on January 20th. ”
Since both emergency vaccines require two doses, the Trump administration is holding back about half of its stock to ensure that those who have already been vaccinated receive the booster dose. But vaccination is difficult from the start.
As of Thursday, the Trump administration had shipped more than 21 million vaccine doses, and millions more were already in the hands of the federal government. Yet only 5.9 million people received it. Civil servants and local public health officials, already overwhelmed by increasing infections, are struggling to administer the vaccine to hospital workers and older Americans, while most people remain in the dark when they can be protected.
The release of the vast majority of vaccine doses is contrary to the recommendation of Food and Drug Administration officials – whose advice Biden has promised to follow. But a transitional official, speaking anonymously to provide insight into the president’s thinking, said he would use the Defense Production Act, if necessary, to ensure sufficient doses were available.