Lee: We can vaccinate 100,000 in TN in 2 days
Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday that Tennessee is ready to administer about 100,000 COVID-19 vaccinations in a matter of 48 hours, though the state will receive only about half that many doses in its first shipment.
Lee’s statement, given at a White House vaccine summit, highlights the vast gap between states’ appetite for the desperately needed vaccine and the United States’ severely limited supply.
The initial shipment of vaccine to Tennessee, expected as early as this weekend, will include about 56,000 doses of Pfizer’s two-dose vaccine. This shipment will be large enough to give one dose to about 12% of the highest priority population in the state. The state’s distribution plan prioritizes front-line health care workers, first responders and residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
Lee traveled to the White House on Tuesday for a roundtable discussion at a “vaccine summit” touting the vaccine as a triumph of government efficiency and scientific research.
Lee praised the Trump administration’s “Operation Warp Speed” program while flanked by his counterparts from Texas, Florida and Louisiana.
“You’ve done an unimaginable job of bringing this to the states,” Lee said. “Now it’s our turn to do what needs to be done to get out to, in our case, millions of Tennesseans who will have the choice to take this.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who led one of the summit’s roundtable discussions, at one point asked each governor in attendance how long it would take to vaccinate 100,000 people in their state.
Lee answered first. He mentioned that Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey was in the audience – and she likely knew the answer for certain – then he gave his estimate.
“I’m going to say, Dr. Piercey, that we could do it in 24 to 48 hours,” Lee said.
Governors in Texas and Louisiana also said 48 hours or less. Florida Gov. Ron Desantis said his state could administer the vaccine “pretty expeditiously” but gave no specific answer.
Trump signs unclear vaccine executive order
The White House vaccine summit began with President Donald Trump signing an executive order intended to prioritize Americans in the government rollout of the vaccine. The order came a day after a bombshell report that raised questions about whether Trump missed an opportunity this summer to secure more vaccine for Americans.
The New York Times reported Monday the Trump administration passed on a chance to lock in the purchase of additional doses of Pfizer’s prospective vaccine in July, allowing competing nations to jump ahead in line for a limited supply. The Pfizer vaccine is set to be approved for use in United States on Thursday but will remain in short supply into and throughout next year. The White House denied The New York Times report.
The executive order Trump signed Tuesday will have an uncertain impact, if any. The order states it is the policy of the United States that Americans should be prioritized to receive any vaccine “developed in the United States or procured by the United States Government.” It is unclear how the order will impact drug companies, many of which are international corporations, that signed contracts to produce vaccine for other nations.
Moncef Slaoui, Trump’s chief vaccine official, said in a Tuesday morning interview on “Good Morning America” that he did not know the impact of the executive order.
Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett. kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.