Operation Warp Speed advised Donald Trump to keep half the doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines in the hands of the government to ensure that patients received the second inoculation needed for immunization. Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two injections several weeks apart for full effectiveness.
But Joe Biden is going to challenge that advice and release the remaining doses anyway. He is betting that Pfizer and Moderna can manufacture enough vaccine doses quickly enough to vaccinate everyone who has had their first injection.
It is a very good bet – for him. He will have his second chance in a few days. But for the rest of the Americans who had the first chance, they should pray that nothing happens to the manufacturing process at Pfizer or Moderna until they have fulfilled their contracts for several hundred million doses.
CNBC:
Some public health experts have advocated the release of all available doses, because there is some evidence of protection against Covid-19 after just the first dose and manufacturers are likely to be able to meet the demand for second doses.
“The president-elect believes that we must accelerate the distribution of the vaccine and, at the same time, ensure that the Americans who need it most receive it as quickly as possible. He supports the release of immediately available doses and believes that the government should stop withholding vaccine supplies so that we can get more vaccines in the arms of Americans now, ”TJ Ducklo, spokesman for the Biden transition team, told NBC News. “He will share additional details next week about how his administration will begin to release the available doses when he takes office on January 20.”
Given the history of distributing accurate information from some of these same “public health experts”, I would be concerned with getting a second injection.
“Our states are ready to work 24 hours a day to increase distribution, get more shots and save more American lives. General Perna, as you said earlier, ‘a vaccine on the shelf is not effective’, ”the governors wrote in the letter. “We couldn’t agree with you anymore. That’s why we’re asking for your help now. When we work together, we can end this pandemic and return to a normal life sooner. “
Operation Warp Speed argued that it is necessary to retain some available doses of vaccines to ensure that everyone who received their first dose receives their booster dose on time. The authorities are also withholding some doses in the reserve in case of manufacturing problems.
Some governors accused Trump of withholding doses of the vaccine for political reasons. Apparently, they did not receive the memorandum on retaining second doses. I doubt that Joe Biden has to put up with such nonsense.
The fact that the government is distributing vaccines more slowly than planned is not a surprise. The number of people involved in this operation – all of whom must perform their duties competently and in a timely manner – guarantees confusion. This is a government project – waste, fraud and abuse are fully expected, as well as incompetence and stupidity.
Governors are like children, hoping that everything will be perfect in a perfect world. This is obviously not the case. And it won’t get better after January 20th.