WASHINGTON: The federal government outlined a sweepingplan Wednesday to make vaccines for Covid-19 available for freeto all Americans, even when polls show a strong undercurrent of skepticism that runs throughout the country.
In a report to Congress and an accompanying “playbook” for states and localities, federal health agencies, and the Department of Defense outlined complex plans for a vaccination campaign. to start gradually in January or possibly later this year, eventually increasing to reach out to any American who wants a chance. The Pentagon is involved in the distribution of vaccines, but civilian health workers will be the ones to give the injections.
The campaign is “much larger in scope and complexity than seasonal influenza or other vaccination responses related to previous outbreaks,” said the playbook for states from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among the highlights:
– For most vaccines, people will need two doses, 21 to 28 days apart. Dual dose vaccines will have to they come from the same pharmacist. There could be several vaccines from different manufacturers approved and available.
-The vaccination of the American population will not be a sprint but a marathon. Initially, there may be a limited supply of vaccines available, and the focus will be on protecting healthcare workers, other essential employees, and people in vulnerable groups. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the National Academy of Medicine, and other organizations are working on priorities for the first phase. A second and third phase would expand vaccination to the whole country.
– The vaccine itself will be free charge, and patients will not have to pay out of pocket for the administration of injections, thanks to billions of dollars in taxpayer funds approved by Congress and allocated by the Trump administration.
-States and local communities will need to design precise plans to receive and distribute vaccines locally, some of which will require special handling, such as refrigeration or freezing. States and cities have one month to present plans.
Some of the general components of the federal system plan have already been discussed, but Wednesday’s reports attempt to to put the key details in a comprehensive framework. The distribution is carried out under the umbrella of Operation Warp Speed, an initiative backed by the White House. to have millions of doses ready to send once the vaccine is administered what is expected to be an emergency use approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Several formulations are undergoing final testing.
But the entire company faces public skepticism. Only about half of Americans said they would get vaccinated in an Associated Press poll in May. Of those who did not get vaccinated, the vast majority said they were concerned about safety. TO To effectively protect the nation from coronavirus, experts say, more than 70% of Americans must be vaccinated or have their own immunity to fight Covid-19.
Since the survey, questions have only increased about whether the government is trying to Urgent treatments and vaccines against Covid-19 to Help President Donald Trump’s chances of reelection.
Before the Republican National Convention in August, the FDA granted authorization for the treatment of Covid-19 patients with plasma from people who have recovered, although some government scientists weren’t convinced that the clinical evidence was strong enough. And last week it was reported that Michael Caputo, a political appointee from the Department of Health and Human Services, judged to gain editorial control over a weekly scientific publication from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As public trust in major health agencies has taken a beating, Trump administration officials have been forced to play defense.
“We are working closely with our state and local public health partners … to ensure Americans can receive the vaccine as soon as possible and vaccinate with confidence, “HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement Wednesday.” Americans should know that the vaccine development process is being driven entirely by science and data. ”
That could be hard to sell. In the AP poll, 1 in 5 Americans said they would not receive a coronavirus vaccine, and 31% said they were unsure.
In a report to Congress and an accompanying “playbook” for states and localities, federal health agencies, and the Department of Defense outlined complex plans for a vaccination campaign. to start gradually in January or possibly later this year, eventually increasing to reach out to any American who wants a chance. The Pentagon is involved in the distribution of vaccines, but civilian health workers will be the ones to give the injections.
The campaign is “much larger in scope and complexity than seasonal influenza or other vaccination responses related to previous outbreaks,” said the playbook for states from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among the highlights:
– For most vaccines, people will need two doses, 21 to 28 days apart. Dual dose vaccines will have to they come from the same pharmacist. There could be several vaccines from different manufacturers approved and available.
-The vaccination of the American population will not be a sprint but a marathon. Initially, there may be a limited supply of vaccines available, and the focus will be on protecting healthcare workers, other essential employees, and people in vulnerable groups. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the National Academy of Medicine, and other organizations are working on priorities for the first phase. A second and third phase would expand vaccination to the whole country.
– The vaccine itself will be free charge, and patients will not have to pay out of pocket for the administration of injections, thanks to billions of dollars in taxpayer funds approved by Congress and allocated by the Trump administration.
-States and local communities will need to design precise plans to receive and distribute vaccines locally, some of which will require special handling, such as refrigeration or freezing. States and cities have one month to present plans.
Some of the general components of the federal system plan have already been discussed, but Wednesday’s reports attempt to to put the key details in a comprehensive framework. The distribution is carried out under the umbrella of Operation Warp Speed, an initiative backed by the White House. to have millions of doses ready to send once the vaccine is administered what is expected to be an emergency use approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Several formulations are undergoing final testing.
But the entire company faces public skepticism. Only about half of Americans said they would get vaccinated in an Associated Press poll in May. Of those who did not get vaccinated, the vast majority said they were concerned about safety. TO To effectively protect the nation from coronavirus, experts say, more than 70% of Americans must be vaccinated or have their own immunity to fight Covid-19.
Since the survey, questions have only increased about whether the government is trying to Urgent treatments and vaccines against Covid-19 to Help President Donald Trump’s chances of reelection.
Before the Republican National Convention in August, the FDA granted authorization for the treatment of Covid-19 patients with plasma from people who have recovered, although some government scientists weren’t convinced that the clinical evidence was strong enough. And last week it was reported that Michael Caputo, a political appointee from the Department of Health and Human Services, judged to gain editorial control over a weekly scientific publication from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As public trust in major health agencies has taken a beating, Trump administration officials have been forced to play defense.
“We are working closely with our state and local public health partners … to ensure Americans can receive the vaccine as soon as possible and vaccinate with confidence, “HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement Wednesday.” Americans should know that the vaccine development process is being driven entirely by science and data. ”
That could be hard to sell. In the AP poll, 1 in 5 Americans said they would not receive a coronavirus vaccine, and 31% said they were unsure.
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