President Biden
The Biden administration is still confiscating land near the border, despite plans to stop building the wall: it reports the Olympics, the climate on the agenda of Biden’s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Boehner on Afghanistan: “It’s time to withdraw troops” MORE faces a number of fresh obstacles in controlling the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.
Several states have seen an increase in the number of cases even though millions of Americans are vaccinated every day, partly due to lifting restrictions on masks and business and general pandemic fatigue more than a year after the virus began. to spread widely. More contagious variants are spreading across the country, and experts warn that new variants may appear until the country reaches a higher degree of immunity.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended a break in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week. While many health experts have praised him for the right move, an extended break could increase the vaccine’s hesitation, further challenging Biden.
On Wednesday, a CDC group made no decision on when or whether to issue new recommendations on the use of the photo, which means the break could take several weeks.
The president received high marks for his response to the pandemic, both far from health experts and the public. A survey in Monmouth this week found that 62 percent of adults say Biden has done a good job of treating the coronavirus pandemic, a figure that is higher than the 54 percent who approve of Biden’s presidency at less 100 days after his presidency.
But the current setbacks could pose some challenges for these figures.
“I don’t think it’s specifically reflecting on Biden, but it may slow down the overall effort to get the country back on track and add fuel to the skepticism that many Americans still have about the vaccine,” said a Democratic strategist of developments with Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
While the Johnson & Johnson delay will not disrupt the delivery of vaccine doses to the country, it denies the nation the only approved vaccine that can be given in a single dose and a vaccine that is easier to keep than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
This could make it more difficult to administer vaccines to more vulnerable populations and could lead some public health officials to criticize the decision, arguing that it would lead to more hesitation in the vaccine and slow recovery.
“[The panel’s] the decision to wait would be okay if there were no pandemic, “Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown School of Public Health, wrote on Twitter. “But there it is. And waiting 7-10 days won’t do much. I’m not sure what data they will receive at that time. But we will have done a real harm to an extraordinarily well-suited vaccine for vulnerable populations.”
The White House insists that its plan to have enough doses of vaccine for all American adults by the end of May will not be interrupted by the break.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki
Jen Psaki Overnight Defense: Administration says Russia has “low to moderate confidence” behind Afghan troops’ “Low to medium risk” rewards for Russia to invade Ukraine in coming weeks | Intelligence leaders face clear questions during threats around the world. Overnight care: the delay of Johnson & Johnson leads to criticism from the CDC group Pfizer CEO says third dose of COVID-19 vaccine is “likely” needed within a year | CDC finds that less than 1% of fully vaccinated people have received COVID-19 Hillicon Valley: Biden administration sanctions Russia for SolarWinds piracy, electoral interference MORE He described the FDA process as the “gold standard” during a briefing Thursday and said the administration will allow the process to proceed while it remains focused on vaccinating every American adult.
“We remain confident that we have the supply to meet demand,” she said. “Because we are too prepared and overworked, we remain confident in that.”
The rate of daily vaccinations has risen steadily over the past few weeks, with officials announcing this week that the US now has an average of 3 million daily coronavirus vaccines, with 3.5 million doses given on Wednesday. Nearly 200 million Americans have received at least one dose of vaccine so far.
However, the vaccine’s hesitation was a problem even before the unwanted news. Monmouth found that 21 percent of American adults say they are unlikely to receive a vaccine, down from 24 percent in March, but still high.
Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist who worked on Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board during the transition, acknowledged that the decision to discontinue the vaccine could create more hesitation than the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in particular, but described it. as a necessary step in demonstrating transparency around the vaccination process for the public.
“If there is a feeling that something is hidden, I think this will do irreparable damage to the credibility of our ability to continue to follow these vaccination programs,” Osterholm said.
Michigan is among the states that has seen a sharp rise in new cases and has led to some friction between the state governor and the White House.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Gretchen Whitmer Watch live: Whitmer provides updates on COVID-19 in Michigan Multiple gig Michiganders tested positive for COVID-19 after White House meeting on pandemic treatment by Whitmer: She showed “serious” severity MORE (D), who was considered vice-president, asked the administration to increase vaccine doses to the state to avoid increasing cases, but the administration said it would not do so. The CDC chief argued that the most effective way to slow the spread would be to re-impose restrictions, which Whitmer cannot do because of the fatigue of restrictions in her state. Whitmer faces re-election next year.
Biden called on governors to restore masked mandates in the states where they were lifted and to reconsider easing restrictions, warning that too many Americans feel the fight against the pandemic is over.
Health experts have expressed confidence that by the summer, through a combination of warmer weather and a wider vaccinated audience, the country will likely get past the current peak of cases. However, Osterholm said the fight was not over.
“I think what’s happening in Minnesota, Michigan and starting to happen in other states is a warning that we’re not done yet,” he said.
Officials have tried to address the hesitation among racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as Republican voters, which polls show are far more likely than Democrats to resist vaccines.
The Biden administration has invested resources in convincing hesitant populations that the vaccine is safe and effective and reaches disadvantaged communities, including a network of 275 organizations, including sports leagues, business and faith groups, and other community organizations to coordinate efforts to instill public confidence in the vaccine.
The Biden administration has also put $ 3 billion in the president’s $ 1.9 trillion bailout package to support state and local efforts to increase vaccine absorption in minority and rural communities.
But health experts describe the issue of hesitation as a complex challenge, which requires officials to understand the reasoning of each group that has expressed reluctance and to address concerns independently.
“When you start looking at the different parties that may be reluctant to vaccinate, there is no real answer. Part of the challenge is that you can’t just put up a billboard saying you’re getting vaccinated, “said Osterholm.