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Donald Trump aims to take credit Tuesday for the rapid development of coronavirus vaccines, even as concerns about supply and timelines to inoculate Americans mount and the government comes under scrutiny for not having the opportunity to buy millions of additional doses of one of the main contenders.
That decision could delay the delivery of a second batch of doses until Pfizer fulfills other international contracts.
The disclosure, confirmed by people familiar with the matter, came on the eve of Trump’s plans to host a summit at the White House to celebrate the expected regulatory approval of the first vaccine for emergency use in the United States, in late March. this week.
The news came as the first person to receive a coronavirus vaccine in the world since regulatory approval was granted, post-clinical trials, it was a 90-year-old woman in the UK who was inoculated on Tuesday.
It also emerged as the US was set to surpass 15 million coronavirus cases and experienced a record death toll in the past week of nearly 16,000 Americans killed as a result of Covid-19, the highest totals in the world.
The Trump administration seeks to crack down on public skepticism about the vaccine and secure a key component of the president’s legacy.
The focus would be on the administration’s plans to distribute and administer the vaccine, but officials from President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team, which will oversee most of the largest vaccination program in the nation’s history once take office on January 20, they weren’t invited.
The Pfizer vaccine is expected to be endorsed by a panel of regulators from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as soon as this week, with the administration of 100 million doses, enough for 50 million Americans, as two injections per person are required for optimal immunity. – expected in the coming months.
Under its contract with Pfizer, the Trump administration promised to buy 100 million initial doses, with the option to buy up to five times more.
This summer, the White House chose not to block an additional 100 million doses for delivery in the second quarter of 2021, according to a report in the New York Times, backed by others who spoke to The Associated Press about the matter on condition of anonymity. because they weren’t allowed to discuss it publicly.
Days before the expected vaccine approval, the administration is changing course, but it is unclear that Pfizer, which has since committed to other countries, can fulfill the latest request on the same schedule.
The Pfizer vaccine is one of two that is on track for emergency clearance from the FDA this month, the other coming from Modern Pharma.
The Trump administration insisted late Monday that between those two vaccines and others in the pipeline, the United States will be able to accommodate any American who wants to get vaccinated by the end of the second quarter of 2021.
Health Secretary Alex Azar told NBC that the administration “continues to work among manufacturers to expand the availability of FDA-approved vaccines as soon as possible … We still have that option for an additional 500 million doses.”
The “Operation Warp Speed” summit will feature the participation of Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and a host of government experts, state leaders and business executives, as the White House seeks to explain that the vaccine is safe and lay out the plans of the administration to bring it to the American people.
Senior administration officials provided details about the summit on Monday. A Biden transition official confirmed that no invitation was extended.
Officials from the pharmaceutical companies that develop the vaccines were also not expected to attend, despite receiving invitations, according to people familiar with the matter.
Some expressed concern that the event contributes to the politicization of the vaccine development process and may further inhibit public confidence in the drugs.
Trump is set to kick off the event with remarks that aim to “celebrate” vaccine development, according to an official who anticipated the event.
Trump will also sign an executive order to prioritize Americans in federally purchased coronavirus vaccines. A second official said the order would restrict the United States government from donating doses to other nations.
