Federal health officials have reached an agreement with pharmacies across the U.S. to distribute free coronavirus vaccines after they are approved and become available to the public.
The goal eventually is to make getting a COVID-19 vaccine like getting a flu shot.
Thursday’s agreement with major chain drug stores, grocery market pharmacies and other chains and networks covers about 3 in 5 pharmacies in all 50 states and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico. It looks ahead to a time next spring when yet-to-be-approved vaccines will start to become available beyond priority groups such as health care workers and nursing home residents.
“The vast majority of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, calling the agreement “a critical step toward making sure all Americans have access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines when they are available.”
The announcement comes as the nation is seeing its broadest virus surge of the pandemic and President Donald Trump has put the brakes on agency collaboration with President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team. New COVID-19 cases surpassed 127,000 on Wednesday, an increase of nearly 75% from two weeks ago. More than 60,000 Americans are hospitalized and deaths are rising.
A successful pandemic hand-off between the Trump and Biden administrations would rank as one of the biggest priorities for the nation. It’s on hold while Trump refuses to acknowledge Biden’s election victory, even though Biden has already appointed a coronavirus advisory panel to guide his transition team.
The list of pharmacies joining the distribution partnership include retail chains like Rite Aid and Walgreens, supermarket drug stores like Albertsons and Publix, and big box stores like Costco and Walmart.
The agreement follows a collaboration with CVS and Walgreens to deliver vaccines to nursing homes and administer shots.
Optimism about a vaccine has grown since pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced earlier this week preliminary data showed its vaccine to be 90% effective.
Pfizer has pursued its own vaccine research and development, while other manufacturers have been operating within a White House-backed effort called “Operation Warp Speed,” which aims to deliver vaccines as soon as they are approved.
But Pfizer also has ties with Operation Warp Speed, having signed a contract to deliver 100 million doses of its vaccine, with an option for the government to acquire 500 million more doses.
Officials say initial supplies will be limited, and distributed to states for them to allocate to priority groups such as health care workers and first responders.
Thursday’s agreement with pharmacies is intended to act as a bridge, facilitating vaccine distribution as supplies become more available but before there’s enough for the government to pull back and let the private market handle things.
Currently there are no approved vaccines for COVID-19, but officials say they anticipate one or more will be approved before the end of this year.
(AP)
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4 Responses
What does it mean that it’s 10% not effective? What are the side effects? Can it be worse than getting the virus? Children have not had serious side effects of coronavirus; will they be required to get this vaccine,? Can it cause guillain barre paralysis like the flu vaccine,? Has it been tested to see the side effects when given at the same time as other vaccines?
Imagine if Biden had made such a deal – he’d be hailed as a hero. Celebrated as a uniting force caring for all citizens. But for Trump – it’s ignored at best.
Since 90% (at least) of those who get “infected” (as indicated by having antibodies, found only through blood testing), never develop symptoms, even a placebo will 90% effective in preventing the disease. To be effective therefore, a vaccine will need to be effective (e.g. 90%) of those who would otherwise get sick, meaning it will need to be at least 99% effective in preventing the disease, and really much higher, meaning they would need a very high number of people to test it on. However most of the damage from Covid19 is from the panic, not the disease, so having a vaccine that is as effective as a placebo will sound good and calm people down and let the economy and schools get about their business.
Is this the “bad news” Herr Cuomo was worried about?
A I can say to Cuomo is to take his head out of the sand. His blatant hatred for Trump and all that is good for us made him blind to reality.