Biden administration provides details on COVID-19 strategies for vaccination, cost reimbursement

Feb 02, 2021 - 03:49 PM
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President Biden today announced details on several initiatives designed to combat COVID-19. The administration is expanding the supply of vaccines, upping the number of weekly allocated doses to 10.5 million.

This minimum supply level will be maintained for the next three weeks, after which the Biden administration hopes to increase the number of available doses.   

Meanwhile, the administration is kicking off phase 1 of its federal retail pharmacy program for vaccinating local communities against COVID-19. At the outset, the public-private partnership will enlist 21 national pharmacy partners, as well as networks of independent pharmacies, as vaccination sites.

President Biden also directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fully reimburse states for the use of National Guard personnel and other emergency costs, a move that was originally announced several days after the inauguration. The estimated reimbursement is expected to total $3 billion to $5 billion, which is separate from the $350 billion Biden requested from Congress in currently discussed relief legislation.

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