Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress released a new column analyzing the Biden administration’s national strategy for COVID-19 response and pandemic preparedness and its impact on distributing and administering vaccines. The piece also explores how the Trump administration’s failure to develop a vaccine distribution plan undercut early efforts to maximize vaccinations and inequities in distributing COVID-19 vaccines by income, race, and ethnicity. To address these challenges, the piece outlines how the Biden plan can support states and localities, including:
- Ensuring greater transparency and advance notice of anticipated supply of vaccine doses by strengthening state software systems, improving their ability to accurately notify providers and local officials of upcoming allocations.
- Supporting equitable and efficient vaccine distribution by helping states acquire additional supplies and staff support; establishing community vaccination clinics in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Department of Defense, and federally qualified health centers; and deploying mobile vaccination units to reach underserved communities.
- Offering states, localities, and hospital systems federal technical support for standing up new data systems, including appointment scheduling.
- Developing localized public awareness campaigns with the help of federal experts and resources to combat vaccine skepticism and educate residents about the vaccine process, among other goals.
“Achieving herd immunity through mass vaccination is the most important effort states and localities have shouldered in decades,” said Nicole Rapfogel, research assistant for Health Policy at the Center for American Progress. “President Biden’s pandemic response plan provides them critical expertise and resources needed to help distribute COVID-19 vaccines quickly and equitably. It’s encouraging to see Democratic and Republican-led states taking the administration up on their offers of support so that we can ensure the vitality of families, communities, and businesses all across the country.”
Please click here to read “How Biden’s Coronavirus Plan Funds and Supports State Vaccination Efforts” by Nicole Rapfogel
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected] or 202.741.6292.