Health officials confident Biden will deliver on promise of 100 million vaccines in 100 days
Two of the nation’s top infectious disease experts said Sunday they are confident that President-elect Joe Biden will meet his goal to administer 100 million vaccinations in the first 100 days of the administration.
“The feasibility of his goal is absolutely clear, there’s no doubt about it that that can be done,” said Anthony Fauci, incoming chief medical adviser to Biden, on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Incoming CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on CBS’ “Face the Nation” said the administration has enough vaccine, although “it will be a hefty lift” to inoculate that many Americans against Covid-19 that quickly.
The infectious disease doctor said that hitting that goal will not only require ensuring vaccine supply but also having enough staff to administer the shots across the nation. She added that Biden is committed to using the Defense Production Act to address any bottlenecks in the system.
The details of how Biden will use the DPA to help boost production of tests, vaccines and other supplies are unclear but Fauci predicted the administration will act urgently “to use whatever mechanisms we can to get everything on track.”
Biden said the administration will need "to move heaven and earth” to hit his goal in a speech in Wilmington, Del., on Friday.
The president-elect’s incoming chief of staff also promised that there will be enough supply to give people the second dose of the vaccine.
“We believe that there will be continued supply and distribution of that supply,” Ron Klain said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Klain, who coordinated the Obama administration's Ebola response in 2014-15, said the DPA could be used to ramp up production of “a particular kind of syringe to get six doses out of the vials instead of five and increase the vaccine supply by 20 percent.”
However, Klain acknowledged that the president-elect is “inheriting a huge mess.”
Sarah Owermohle contributed to this report.