Vaccine distribution: The Trump administration is reversing its course and accepting part of Biden’s plan

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The Trump administration plans to release second reserved doses immediately, a senior administration official tells CNN. The official expects reserved doses to be released over the next two weeks.

The move comes after Trump administration officials scorned Biden’s plan to do the same.

“If President Biden wants vaccines released in the knowledge that a second dose would not be available, that decision is without science or data and is against the FDA’s approved label,” Michael Pratt said, criminal Operation Warp Speed, Friday in light of Biden’s news. “If President Biden recommends that the maximum number of doses should be available, subject to ensuring that a second dose of the vaccine is in place when the patient shows up, that happens. already. “

The new plan would change guidelines to allow vaccinations immediately for anyone 65 and older and would help states set up vaccine sites if they ask for help. The administration wants to shift focus away from hospitals and focus more on more accessible centers, such as surgeries, the source said.

Exclusive: Biden will release almost all available vaccine doses in violation of the Trump administration's policy of withholding stock for a second dose

This will try to address a recurring issue that states have been trying to provide the vaccine through hospitals and medical providers who have stated that their facilities or staff are not as good. vaccination clinics.

The former Trump administration has released all available doses.

Both Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines require two rounds of injections, and while releasing almost all available vaccine doses can be quickly recirculated, there is also a risk reduce resources needed to ensure people are fully vaccinated.

The changes come after two Operation Warp Speed ​​meetings held by HHS Secretary Alex Azar over the past 48 hours about how you can speed up the weakening process, according to the official. Vaccine production has not gone up as fast as many experts had hoped.

Appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America” ​​Tuesday morning, Azar stressed the importance of the move, saying it was “just a stage, moving to the next stage of the vaccination program.”

Last week, two top FDA officials said that anyone who receives the preserved vaccines must take both doses, dismissing the idea of ​​extending the supply by allowing just one dose or cut doses in half.

They also rejected other ideas for extending the vaccine supply and said that people who are considering the possibility of doing with just one dose or cutting doses in half are misinterpreting the data.

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“We have been following the discussions and news reports about reducing the number of doses, extending the time between doses, changing the dose (half-dose), or mixing and matching vaccines to vaccinate more people against COVID-19, “FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and Dr. Peter Marks, who heads the FDA’s vaccination department, said in a statement at the time.

Nearly 9 million people have received their first dose of vaccine and nearly 25.5 million doses of vaccine have now been dispensed, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. But that is far behind initial administration estimates, which at one time predicted that 20 million Americans would be vaccinated by the end of 2020.
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At the same time, the coronavirus is spreading throughout the United States. More than 200,000 new Covid-19 cases have been reported every day over the past week, according to Johns Hopkins University, and the U.S. has reported more than 3,200 deaths each day over that period.

CNN’s Sara Murray contributed to this report.

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