The Biden administration’s acquisition of an additional 200 million doses of Pfizer and Modern means that the US could fully vaccinate 300 million people with these two vaccines alone – and 355 million More people if four additional vaccines get FDA approval.
Why does it matter: The United States is home to 250 million adults, many of whom will not choose to be vaccinated. It also now controls much of the global vaccine supply. The White House says the United States will eventually donate overdoses to other countries, but has not released a plan to do so.
Game status: The administration has focused almost entirely on ensuring that every American who wants a vaccine will be able to receive one by this summer.
- With additional doses of Pfizer and Moderna – and up to 40 million Johnson & Johnson doses ready to be implemented if approved – the White House is increasingly confident that they will achieve this goal.
- In the meantime, the administration will “develop a framework to provide the excess doses … including through the COVAX facility, as appropriate,” says State Department spokesman Ned Price.
- They will need to balance the distribution of doses around the world, holding them back for potential booster shots or hesitant vaccine.
Between the lines: Sources in the administration point out that, despite bulk orders, only two vaccines have been approved and supplies remain scarce in the field. Until that changes, they say, it is too early to focus on dose distribution globally.
Game status: Vaccination plans in many countries are based entirely on the global COVAX initiative, which aims to distribute two billion doses this year, mainly to low- and middle-income countries. Some do not expect to vaccinate most of their population by 2023.
- COVAX is developing a donation platform, which is expected to grow in the second half of 2021, as rich countries begin to meet their domestic needs, according to a spokesman for Gavi, the international vaccine alliance.
- Biden said the United States will participate in COVAX, which Donald Trump has blocked, but has not yet made specific commitments.
- Countries, including Canada and France, have said they will contribute doses to COVAX, but only Norway has promised to do so in parallel with its internal vaccination program.
Meanwhile, India and China they make bilateral donations to neighboring countries, while China and Russia sell state-funded jabies around the world.
- White House Secretary of State Jen Psaki warned on Friday that China and Russia could use vaccines to make other countries subject to them.
- She also pointed out that the United States committed $ 4 billion to Gavi in December for global vaccinations, and Biden’s recovery plan includes an additional $ 11 billion for the global relief effort.
- Canada and the United Kingdom have purchased even more doses than their population than the United States, but the United States controls most doses.
What are they saying: “From a US perspective, we are losing a bit of the messaging war,” says Dr. Krishna Udayakumar, director of Duke University’s Global Center for Health Innovation.
- “If we look back six months from now, it could be that the US has donated more doses than any other country in the world. But now, the story is how we buy more and accumulate more from supply. ”
Dr. Zeke Emanuel, vice president for global initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, acknowledges that bulk purchases have sparked international criticism, but says things will look much different in the spring. By then, the US will have accelerated domestic distribution and will be able to think more about delivering doses globally.
- Emanuel, who worked on Biden’s COVID-19 advisory committee during the transition, says that being one of the world’s biggest coronavirus hotspots – and the largest economy – the US should be a priority country for vaccination under any circumstances.
- He also says that billions invested by the US could contribute to expanding global long-term vaccine production.
- For now, for the time being, “every time a bilateral agreement is concluded, it means eliminating the capacity that could go towards supporting equitable access,” Gavi’s spokesman said.
Bottom line: As noted by Dr. Anthony Fauci, emerging variants of COVID-19 emphasize the need for efficient distribution of vaccines worldwide to truly control the pandemic.
- The United States “will be part of this process,” says Fauci. But it is not yet clear what America’s role will be.
Not worth anything: Most of the 1.2 billion doses of six vaccines currently on the books were purchased as part of the Trump administration’s Warp Speed operation. Sanofi’s is not on our chart, as it is not expected until the end of 2021.