On Tuesday Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced that the federal government would start releasing reserve COVID-19 vaccines. It now appears these reserves do not actually exist.
The Trump administration’s shift in policy on Tuesday came after President-elect Joe Biden announced plans to release most of the vaccines in storage to increase the speed of the rollout. However, state and federal officials are now being told that the Trump administration began shipping out all that was available at the end of December. The Washington Post broke the story today.
Official's Reactions
The Democratic Governor of Oregon, Kate Brown, released a statement on the matter. In part it reads, "Last night, I received disturbing news, confirmed to me directly by General Perna of Operation Warp Speed: States will not be receiving increased shipments of vaccines from the national stockpile next week, because there is no federal reserve of doses.”
She went on to say, “I am demanding answers from the Trump Administration. I am shocked and appalled that they have set an expectation on which they could not deliver, with such grave consequences. This is a deception on a national scale. Oregon’s seniors, teachers, and all of us were depending on the promise of Oregon’s share of the federal reserve of vaccines being released to us."
Michael Pratt, a spokesman for Operation Warp Speed, denied that the reserve was “exhausted.” In a statement to CNN he said, "This week, nearly 13 million total doses have been provided to states to order, millions more than other weeks, as the reserve of second doses is completely made available to order against.”
He continued, “States have yet to fully order against their ordering caps. As stated this week, we have now moved to the phase where the full amount released to OWS is being made available to order, first to cover second doses, second to provide additional first doses."
Incompetence or Deceit?
This does not fully explain the sudden drop in promised vaccines to various states. It appears there was either a lack of communication or states were deliberately misled. Jared Polis, the Democratic Governor of Colorado, tweeted an announcement accusing the Trump administration of lying and explained the reduced number of vaccines they will receive.
Domino Effects
The shortage could create a delay in supply, causing those who have already received their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to miss their second. Should this occur these individuals will have incomplete protection from COVID-19. Their risk of catching the disease would be higher than an individual who received both doses, though it is thought the symptoms could still be reduced if they did get COVID-19.
States have made plans based on numbers that now appear impossible to reach in the short term. This also compromises the rollout expansion as plans to vaccinate individuals over 65 years of age, along with anyone that has a high-risk medical condition, is in jeopardy.
Joe Biden Responds
With such a chaotic vaccine rollout that has fallen behind expectations, the incoming Biden administration will have many pieces to pick up. After news of the lack of reserves Joe Biden posted a tweet assuring that his administration will increase supply and vaccination rates.
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