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Added on the 15/01/2021 20:27:39 - Copyright : Wochit
14 (UPI) -- The incoming Biden administration's plan to release more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine won't cause supply shortages, Dr. Celine Gounder, a member of the newly created COVID-19 advisory board said Thursday. Two COVID-19 vaccines, made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, have been approved for use in the United States, and both require two doses for maximum effectiveness. Through Thursday, nearly 30 million doses of the two vaccines had been distributed across the country, but fewer than 11 million have been administered, based on estimates from the U.S.
Starting in two weeks, states with the speediest vaccine rollouts will be prioritized. The prioritization will be for additional doses, US officials announced Tuesday. The new system is meant to incentivize states to promptly record vaccinations. It will also prevent doses from sitting in freezers, says Business Insider. But it could also punish states that lack the funding or resources to accelerate vaccine administration. The strategy is set to take effect after President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
In the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the US, many independent doctors offices say they've been left in the dark. According to Business Insider, they say they don't have access to COVID-19 vaccines. What's more, they've heard little from the federal or state governments about if or when they might receive doses. Independent primary care providers have been totally left out of distribution channels and have no line of sight for when they might receive a vaccine supply. Dr. Emily Maxson Chief Medical Officer, Aledade Sources say hospitals, large retail pharmacies, and federally-qualified health centers are the main distributors of the vaccine. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nearly 9 million individuals in the US have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. That's 11 million people less than the Trump administration's estimate of 20 million vaccinated Americans by the end of 2020.
On Friday, the incoming Biden administration detailed a new plan to make as many vaccine doses available as possible to the public. They plan to release all doses held in storage, breaking from the current strategy of stockpiling some of the available supply to ensure that people can get their second doses. Though the… Read more...
U.S. President Barack Obama attends an outdoor arrival ceremony in heavy rain, as the first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).