President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. will have enough supply of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans.
Biden made the announcement at the sprawling National Institutes of Health complex just outside Washington as he visited some of the nation's leading scientists on the frontlines of the fight against the disease. He toured the Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory that created the COVID-19 vaccine now manufactured by Moderna and being rolled out in the U.S. and other countries.
The U.S. is on pace to exceed Biden’s goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office, with more than 26 million shots delivered in his first three weeks.
“That’s just the floor,” Biden said. "Our end goal is beating COVID-19.”
Biden announced on Thursday that the U.S. had secured contractual commitments from Moderna and Pfizer to deliver the 600 million doses of vaccine by the end of July — more than a month earlier than initially anticipated.
“We’re now on track to have enough supply for 300 million Americans by the end of July," he announced.
The pace of injections could increase further if a third coronavirus vaccine from drugmaker Johnson & Johnson receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Speaking with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious-disease specialist, Biden emphasized that his administration is doing everything possible to increase the vaccine supply and the country's capacity to deliver injections into arms.
“It’s been a hell of a learning process," Biden said.
Biden, wearing a mask, used his remarks to criticize President Donald Trump, saying he inherited “no plan to vaccinate most of the country.”
“It is no secret that the vaccination program was in much worse shape than my team and I anticipated,” he said.
To date, the Biden administration has deployed active-duty troops to help stand up mass vaccination sites in several states, as it looks to lay the groundwork for increasing the rate of vaccinations once more supply is available.
The Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory is led by Dr. Barney Graham, whose team made critical discoveries years ago that laid the groundwork for rapid development of that and other COVID-19 vaccines. Before the pandemic erupted, one of Graham’s research fellows, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, had been using those earlier findings to develop a vaccine for MERS, a cousin of COVID-19.
On the tour, Biden was shown the lab bench where researchers sequenced the virus and developed the precursor of the Moderna vaccine.
Armed with their prior research, Corbett and Graham had a head start when Chinese scientists shared the genetic map of the new coronavirus in January 2020. They already knew how to make spike proteins, which coat the surface of the new coronavirus and its MERS relative, that were stable enough to be used as a key vaccine ingredient.
Within days, the NIH had sent instructions to Moderna to brew up doses, and Corbett and her colleagues were setting up the key lab and animal tests that would eventually prove they were on the right track.
Associated Press Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed to this report.
William Li and Danielle Chang, co-founders of The Hao Life, join Cheddar Innovates to discuss how they're shaking up the $71 billion supplement industry by putting a modern spin on traditional natural Chinese remedies.
The Coca-Cola Company is teaming up with science education personality Bill Nye as part of its World Without Waste Initiative to describe the bottle-to-bottle plastic recycling process through a vividly animated, stop-motion short film. Christine Yeager, director of sustainability at The Coca-Cola Company, North America, joined Cheddar News to talk about their initiative and the partnership. "We really wanted to partner with someone who can help us make recycling relatable, but also has a very um respected voice in the climate change space," she said.
Catching you up on what you need to know on Apr 14, 2022, with the U.S. sending $800M to Ukraine, updates on the subway shooting in Brooklyn, Gov. Abbott putting a pause on his southern border truck inspections, migrants being bused from Texas to Washington, DC, the travel mask mandate extending until May 3, and more.
Energy costs continue to rise, our electrical grid is outdated, and the focus on renewable energy is more important than ever. One company says it has an answer: pods that store solar energy for long-term, 24-hour usage that can also function as mini power grids and charge electric vehicles. Azelio's TES.PODs store solar energy during the day, and hold it for use around the clock, providing a solution for charging electric vehicles, powering rural areas, and much more. Jonas Wallmander, CEO of Azelio, joins Closing Bell to discuss the company's solar energy storage technology, how it can be used to power communities and build out electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and more.
Catching you up with what you need to know on Apr 12, 2022, with Russia concentrating forces in eastern Ukraine, rising inflation, severe weather from Minnesota to the Gulf Coast, Philadelphia brings back its indoor mask mandate, PG&E pays $55 million for wildfire settlement, and more
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 11, 2022, with updates on the Russia-Ukraine War, France’s presidential election, the record deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest, retail giant Amazon's objection to the Staten Island union vote, the worsening baby formula shortage, a lawsuit against Rutgers Law School, and a stomach illness possibly linked to Lucky Charms cereal.
SpaceX launched its first all commercial-crew mission to the International Space Station on Friday. Cheddar News speaks with Jim Cantrell, CEO and President of Phantom Space Corporation why this launch is a big leap for space tourism.
Nautilus Labs closed $34 million in funding from investors including the Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund. The company plans to use its funding to improve shipping industry efficiency with its software. Nautilus CEO Matt Heider joined Cheddar News to talk about how it tackles the carbon emissions in the global supply chain. "We've seen on 10-day voyages saving $60,000 worth of fuel just by managing speed with greater confidence around the future. The environmental impact of that is also huge," he said. "Saving that amount of fuel is a kind of taking over 1000 cars off the road this year."
