Mitt Romney reveals lack of comprehensive vaccination plan

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, Utah, on Friday issued a statement calling for a more thorough and urgent plan to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, while also harshly rejecting the current deployment.

“That comprehensive vaccination plans have not been developed at the federal level and if models have been sent to the states is as incomprehensible as it is inexcusable,” he said.

Romney’s remarks come days after President-elect Joe Biden criticized the Trump administration’s rate of vaccination and promised to step it up when he took office.

Romney’s statement was opened with praise for the NIH, the FDA and the pharmaceutical companies that all contributed to the development of vaccines. He then expressed his displeasure with the government, saying “the vaccination process itself is lagging behind.”

“It was unrealistic to assume that the health workers already overloaded with COVID care could embark on a massive vaccination program,” the senator said. “So is the claim that CVS and Walgreens will save the day: they do not have too many staff available to vaccinate millions of Americans. They are also not equipped to deal with the rare but serious reactions that can occur. is well suited, but the patient’s flow through to doctor’s offices is predictably slow. ‘

He admits he has no medical experience, but also said he knows when a current plan is not working well and when a better alternative needs to be developed – “especially when hundreds of thousands of lives are at stake.”

The senator and the 2012 Republican presidential candidate also put forward proposals for a better distribution program. He suggested first seeking advice and information from people who had worked on other widespread vaccination programs.

He went on to say that “every medical profession, retired or active, which is not currently engaged in the provision of care”, should be mobilized in the effort. Along with EMS professionals, he said this effort should include veterinarians, combat physicians and corps members, medical students, first responders and anyone else who can be trained to vaccinate people.

He noted: “Congress has already allocated funding for states so that these professionals can be fully compensated.”

Romney also called for the establishment of vaccination sites – possibly in schools – in each state, as well as a timetable for vaccination. His statement read: ‘Plan vaccinations according to the priority category and date of birth of a person: people in group A with a first birthday in January, for example, will be given a specific day to receive their vaccination.’

He concluded his statement by stating that the plan that currently exists is “bad” and that without major changes “deadly delays could increase as broader and more complex populations are added.” He said: ‘We are already behind; urgent action can now help us to catch up. ‘

Apart from Biden, the administration’s pace of rollout has also come under fire from health workers such as dr. Ashish Jha, who tweeted on Monday: “So many conversations are happening about the slow vaccine. Personally, I am incredibly frustrated. Did we not know that vaccines would be coming? Is the administration of vaccine a surprise?”

In response to this, Michael Pratt, spokesman for Operation Warp Speed, said in a statement, as reported by CNBC: “Operation Warp Speed ​​remains on track to have approximately 40 million doses of vaccine and allow 20 million doses for first vaccinations by the end of December 2020, with distribution of the 20 million first doses extending over the first week of January, as states place orders for it. ‘

Romney has spoken out in recent weeks about President Donald Trump. In an interview with CNN on December 20, he criticized Trump for what he calls “loop” conspiracy theories about the November presidential election. Instead, the senator told interviewer Jake Tapper that Trump should concentrate his energy on “writing the last chapter of this government with a victory over the vaccine.”

Romney, 72, received the vaccine on Dec. 18. He then tweeted about the experience while also insisting on passing a COVID relief package.

Newsweek issued Romney and the White House for comment on the senator’s vaccination statement, but did not hear of publication at the time.