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The Trump administration is changing the way coronavirus vaccines are allocated to states, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Tuesday.
Rather than handing out vaccines based on population, the administration will instead assign doses based on how quickly they can deliver the vaccines, as well as the size of the population over 65, Azar said.
States will have two weeks to prepare for the change, Azar said, which should give them time to improve their reporting in a federal database.
Azar has indicated that part of the current sluggishness is the result of data communication issues, and the change in allocation method will inspire them to address those issues.
“This new system is a strong incentive for states to ensure that all vaccinations are reported promptly, which is not currently the case,” Azar told reporters at a press briefing.
“This is a strong incentive for states to make sure doses are working to protect people rather than sitting on shelves or in freezers,” he added.
The policy change would reward states that vaccinate people quickly and comes as senior administration officials complain about slow vaccinations.
Azar said strict adherence to eligibility criteria by states has led to a bottleneck. The administration’s Operation Warp Speed made nearly 25 million first doses available over the past month, but just over 9 million people have been vaccinated.
“We need the doses to get to where they will be delivered quickly and where they will protect the most vulnerable,” Azar said.
To this end, the administration is also pushing states to administer vaccines to anyone 65 years of age and older, regardless of underlying health conditions, as well as to anyone under 65 with any medical condition. underlying. The administration will also release second doses of the vaccines it had in reserve, with the aim of doubling the number of available doses.
Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert redfield
Robert Redfield A Vaccine, a Burrito and More: 7 Lighter, Memorable Moments of 2020 Who Should Get Vaccinated Next? Not Just CDC Seniors: Only About 1 Million Americans Have Received COVID-19 PLUS Vaccine said a post-vacation flare has created a sense of urgency.
“It’s going to be a tough January and probably a February, but with a vaccine and the new therapeutics that we have, there’s a very strong light at the end of that tunnel as we move into March,” Redfield said. “We really need to make a real commitment now to vaccinate as many Americans as possible, who are especially the most vulnerable and at the highest risk for hospitalization.”
But current Trump officials will be out of the driver’s seat in two weeks time, and it’s unclear whether the new Biden administration supports such a change. Azar said Operation Wap Speed has yet to discuss the change with the transition team.
“We will certainly let the Biden team know about these changes, but we operate as you know, one government at a time, and this is the approach that we believe best fulfills the mission and the current situation that we are facing today, ”said Azar told me.
A spokesperson for the Biden transition did not respond to a request for comment.
If implemented, the policy change could add even more headaches to state and local authorities who are already grappling with what they say are insufficient resources and communication from the federal government.
It will ultimately be up to governors, national and local authorities to decide who is eligible to receive the vaccine in their state. Many states are already contradicting the CDC’s initial recommendations on prioritization, but the updated recommendations could turn statewide distribution into a free program for everyone.
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