Biden's plan: 100 million shots in 100 days
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Getting 100 million shots into Americans' arms in his first 100 days is only the beginning of his coronavirus plan, President-elect Joe Biden declared Friday. Lasting impact, he said, will come from uniting the nation in a new effort grounded in science and fueled by billions in federal money for vaccination, testing and outbreak sleuths.
"You have my word: We will manage the hell out of this operation," Biden said. But he also underscored a need for Congress to approve more money and for people to keep following basic precautions, such as wearing masks, avoiding gatherings and frequently washing their hands.
"This is not a political issue," Biden said. "This is about saving lives. I know it's become a partisan issue, but what a stupid, stupid thing to happen."
Biden spoke a day after unveiling a $1.9 trillion "American Rescue Plan" to confront the virus and provide temporary support for a shaky economy. About $400 billion of the plan is focused on measures aimed at controlling the virus. Those range from mass vaccination centers to more sophisticated scientific analysis of new strains and squads of local health workers to trace the contacts of infected people.
On Friday, Biden pledged to maximize the available supply of vaccines and materials needed to administer them, using a Cold War-era law called the Defense Production Act to direct private manufacturing.
He also seconded the Trump's administration's call earlier this week for states to start vaccinating more seniors, reaching those 65 and older as well as younger people with certain health problems. Until now states have been focused on inoculating health care workers, and some are starting to vaccinate people 75 and older. Relatively few are providing shots to people between 65 and 75.
Another carryover from the Trump administration plan: Biden said he intends to mobilize local pharmacies to administer vaccines.
Dr. Leana Wen, a public health expert and emergency physician, said Biden should aim higher.
"At this point, mass vaccination is our last and best chance to restoring normalcy," she said. "There should be no expenses spared in the vaccine rollout. A hundred million in 100 days needs to be seen as only a start."
As
Biden spoke, some governors blasted the
Trump administration for what at least one said was "deception" in suggesting earlier this week a reserve of vaccine doses was ready to ship, augmenting supplies. An administration official said states have still not ordered all of the doses allocated to them, and called it a problem with states' expectations.
Biden committed to better communication with the states, to avoid surprises about how much vaccine they can expect. His plan calls for the federal government to fully reimburse states that mobilize their National Guard to help distribute vaccines.
The plan comes as a divided nation is in the grip of the pandemic's most dangerous wave yet. So far, more than 389,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S.