Biden to outline plan to administer Covid-19 vaccines to Americans Friday
President-elect Joe Biden will outline his plan to administer Covid-19 vaccines to the US population on Friday at an event in Wilmington, Delaware, according to his transition team.
Biden has said his first priority when he takes office next week is to vaccinate Americans against the virus as the pandemic continues to devastate the nation. The President-elect has pledged to administer 100 million Covid-19 vaccine shots, enough to cover 50 million Americans with the vaccines that require two doses, in his first 100 days in office.
The President-elect on Thursday outlined a $1.9 trillion emergency legislative package to fund his nationwide vaccination effort and provide direct economic relief to Americans who are struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The American Rescue Plan calls for investing $20 billion in a national vaccination program, including launching community vaccination centers around the country and mobile units in difficult-to-reach areas. It would also increase federal support to vaccinate Medicaid enrollees.
The proposal also includes $1,400 stimulus checks, more aid for the unemployed, those facing food shortages and those facing eviction. It includes more money for child care and child tax credits, additional support for small businesses, state and local governments, and increased funding for vaccinations and testing.
The President-elect on Thursday did not detail how he plans to move this massive proposal through Congress, in which Democrats will have narrow House and Senate majorities, but both congressional Democratic leaders voiced support for the proposal and pledged to help turn it into law.
Biden will aim to release nearly every available dose of the coronavirus vaccine when he takes office, CNN previously reported. The Trump administration’s strategy originally was to hold back half of US vaccine production to ensure second doses are available, but it has since reversed course and said it would distribute reserved second doses immediately, effectively adopting Biden’s approach after disparaging it.
Biden’s presidential transition team on Friday announced that Dr. David Kessler, a former head of the US Food and Drug Administration, would lead federal Covid-19 vaccine efforts for the incoming administration. Kessler will help lead Operation Warp Speed, the federal government’s vaccine program that began under President Donald Trump, to speed up vaccine development and distribution.
More than 388,700 Americans have died from the virus as of Friday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. About 11.1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to Americans so far, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 1.3 million people have received two doses, according to the CDC.
The President-elect has received both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, and was administered both shots live on camera while reassuring the American public of its safety. He received the second dose earlier this week.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has received the first dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, and also did so on camera.
