His comments came amid growing concern that the distribution of the Covid vaccine was slower than expected, with the Trump administration missing its initial goal of vaccinating 20 million Americans by the end of 2020. So far, little more than 4 million Americans received the first of two Covid injections and another 13 million doses were delivered to the states, according to the CDC.
Federal officials said the United States will need to vaccinate about 80 percent of the population to obtain collective immunity against coronavirus and are looking for ways to rapidly increase immunization efforts as cases continue to increase. The USA has reported more than 20.4 million cases and 350,000 deaths so far.
The previous Sunday, federal infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci warned that the government should not deviate from the doses and schedules used in clinical trials of vaccines, adding that distribution efforts need to be more efficient.
“We know what science tells us,” said Fauci on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program, without directly addressing Slaoui’s suggestion. “So my feeling … is that we do it the way that clinical tests instructed us to do it. But we will be more efficient in putting it in people’s arms.”
Fauci and surgeon general Jerome Adams said they are working with governors to increase vaccination.
“We have to understand that this virus also occurred in the midst of an outbreak. And much of the local capacity to vaccinate was being used to test and respond to spikes, “Adams told CNN’s” State of the Union. ” But the good news is that we are seeing this increase rapidly, thanks to our state partners. “
The United States, like most countries, has restricted half of its supplies of Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna to ensure that everyone who receives the first dose receives the second. Meanwhile, the UK changed its orientation last week to give as many people as possible its first dose, while potentially delaying the second dose, raising concern among scientists who say there is no evidence to suggest the vaccine is effective without completing the complete regime.
Slaoui rejected the idea of taking a similar approach in the United States, saying that it would not be responsible to give the initial doses without ensuring that people received the second dose without data to prove it.